Through the Looking Glass
by Uskius
Summary: Even as I'm writing this I'm getting the feeling, one of being watched. I'm not quite sure how I could describe it; it's simple, but there's not enough space here on this little napkin. I'll have to do it in my journal.
1. Chapter 1

I pull up my pants, and a chill goes down my spine. There's the feeling, again. I'd say it's one of my family members using their Byakugan- it's very nearly the same feeling- but the first thing you learn after awakening it is the location of the bathrooms, so it couldn't be one of them.

In any case, the feeling stays after I wash my hands, during which I form a diamond with my cupped hands and blow a few bubbles. No one knows I do this. It's one of those childish things I keep to myself, like my baby sister's old stuffed bunny, Haruko. I smile as I blow the last bubble and finish rinsing and drying, and step out.

Today is a free day, what us ninja call the mandatory day off after returning from a mission. Mine was nothing very serious, only safeguarding a merchant as he traveled to a village near the border, so I feel like doing some training. As I learned shortly after the war, my chakra nature is water, so I am working on training my proficiency with it. When I was younger I had hoped for it to be earth, something very solid and steady, but I'm learning that water can carry large amounts of blunt force, too. I'm not just thinking of traditional jutsu, but incorporating the myriad ways water works in the natural world into my techniques. It's quite the daunting task. So far I've only defined one technique, a very simple and brutal thing; however due to its nature I won't be writing it down here in my journal just yet- sometimes Hanabi sneaks around my room and I don't want her coming across it.

It's a short jaunt over to the training grounds, and I sneak past the young genin doing their exercises until I come to my favorite spot. It's a small, natural clearing, a break in the trees just a running jump across. I catch my breath and begin the genjutsu I use for privacy out here. "Genjutsu: Double Optic Delusory!" The surroundings blur for a moment, and then they settle down. There. If one should look at the clearing now, they would seems to be at the edge of a cliff, and if they managed to dispel the first layer of the genjutsu, the opposite would appear, seeming as if they had just fallen off of the same cliff. After I became a chunin and was "in on the secret", if you will, I made sure to learn this genjutsu.

I begin with moving through the forms of my clan's martial art, the Gentle Fist style. It's relaxing, and helps me prepare for the nature transformation part of my jutsu- our forms rely on flowing and redirection, like water. That's how I visualize my nature transformation: my blood is a great river, and my chakra is simply and extension of it.

So far with my jutsu, I only have introduced water's flow, a straight-ahead force. Though simple, I've found that this isn't bad at all. I've held on to a couple simple techniques, Hand of Waves, and also Raging Waves, and worked with expanding them. As I'm doing now, I can refine them and target small points in conjunction with the use of my Byakugan. A small stream here, piercing through a knot on this tree; a thin rope there, breaking off from a larger stream and lancing into the ground where I imagine my opponent's foot to be.

This is going well. I continue with the pinpoint accuracy training, but after I stop, I know I need to expand the possibilities of working with a larger flow. As I slowly work through Gentle Fist forms again, a sort of moving meditation, I get the feeling of being watched again. It's not a far-off family member using their Byakugan kind, but much more personal, and specific. I've taken off my jacket, and I swear I can feel the mysterious gaze on where water from my jutsu have splashed on my top. It lingers on a spot on my chest, and I quickly put my jacket back on. I dispel the genjutsu I put up for privacy, and hear a startled yelp and a groan.

"Is someone there?"

"Yeah," says the young voice. I look around a tree, and see Naruto's protege Konohamaru rubbing his nose.

"Oh, Konohamaru. Are you alright?"

"I will be. It's just I was about to jump off this cliff and suddenly the air turned into a tree."

"I apologize for that." I help Konohamaru up, and bow. "Give my best to Naruto," I say, quickly bowing and going my way. I feel an intensifying of the watched feeling as I mention Naruto's name, and make a decision...


	2. Chapter 2

"Slow, softly falling

Crystalline white artist's touch

Nature's blank canvas."

Hmm. Well, I've got a ways to go before I master the art form. And, of course, I'm getting that feeling again. I've noticed it waxes and wanes, at seemingly odd moments. Right now it's holding steady, but faint and distant.

Before I test my theory, I have to get ready. I almost can't believe I'm doing this, being so forward, but it's an important step. It's evening, and I wasn't assigned to any missions, so I've been able to relax and plan. I think of how he'll react- well daydream of his reactions, as I often do- but then call to mind how he acts around the other girls. He is friendly, to be sure. And I think and think of how he acts with them, but a friend's interest is all I can remember. This doesn't bode well for my plans.

As I look through my clothes, the watched feeling sharpens, the focus shifting back onto me. I try to ignore it as best I can, though. I think of how the one he loves dresses- like most of us ninja, she's settled on one work outfit. It's both casual and practical. Aha, there. I pick out one of my qipao, this one in a floral print, lotus flowers splashed all over the blue fabric. Excellent. Down below I don't have many shoes to choose from. To be perfectly honest I have only a couple styles I like. I take the blue pair that I wear to formal clan meetings and scoot them out to the front of the closet with my foot, and turn to my mirror. I'd say I look elegant enough. I smile, and step over to my dresser. I notice the intensity of the feeling as I pick out fresh underclothes, and head towards my bathroom.

In the shower, it's awful- I almost feel as if I'm being devoured, ghostly tongues and fingers slithering all over. I hurry through it as fast as I can. Thankfully, it lessens as I step out, and I towel off in relief. I take the small squeegee and clear the mirror, imagining I'm wearing the dress.

"_Beautiful..."_

The whisper sends a shiver down my spine. I'm certain the bathroom is empty- I can't see or sense anyone else in it. I wrap up my hair and get my underclothes on, and step out into my room, relishing the drier air- it's one of my favorites parts of bathing, this moment. I slip into my qipao, and begin to look through my jewelry- mostly just some earrings, and a few necklaces. I see the small pearl earrings- yes, I'll wear those. And the gold chain, without any charms on it. I put them on and snatch off my towel, leaning over towards my bathroom and tossing it just so onto the top of the shower rod.

I run my fingers through my hair, fanning it out. Up? Down? Ah, a braid. A simple one of three strands starting at the base of my neck, falling over my shoulder. I look at myself, and think of how she dresses. I sigh. I've gotten it all wrong. I take off my earrings and necklace, and exchange my qipao for a plain white sun dress- simple and casual, like he's used to seeing her. I slide my flats back into my closet and get out my casual sandals, and grab my purse.

I'm sure he's already there, and I hurry on my way to the shop. And sure enough, as I enter, I see him at the bar eating. Luckily for my plan the seats next to him aren't taken, and a slide onto the stool to his left. Miss Ayame sees me and smiles as she walks over. "What can I get you?"

"One bowl of miso ramen, please." I say clearly. He slurps up his noodles and looks over, noticing me for the first time.

"Oh, hey, Hinata. Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"H- hello, Naruto." I swoon, trying to focus on the task at hand. "How are you tonight?"

"Ah, just the same ol' same ol', ya know?" He says, gesturing with his chopsticks. "I got a boring D rank today, had to get some old lady's cat down from a tree."

"That sounds... fun."

"It wasn't too bad, until the thing started clawing at me as I was bringing it down. I swear, cats must secretly be demons or something," He grumbled. I smile, and already Ayame is back with my ramen. They must have been busy and made extra right before I came. "So, what brings you to this fine establishment tonight?"

"Oh, just hungry for some Naruto- I mean, ramen."

"Naruto? But, that's miso you've got there."I nod and quickly take a large bite, my cheeks hot. "But I know what you mean, it's one of my favorite toppings. Old man Teuchi makes it the best, it seems like half the people outside of Konoha I get it from don't understand the seasonings you need for seafood, or use the right broth. Or both, but even then it's still ramen, so it's not all bad. The key with naruto is to use a lighter broth; seafood flavors just gets crazy awful if they're too strong. And ya gotta use fresh ingredients too, ya know? Some foods are okay when they're older but seafood isn't one of them for me, so with a nice fresh burst of flavor from the toppings and a good broth it's like inhaling all the awesomeness of the open sea and diving headfirst into delicious."

It was almost like hearing Gai sensei talk about "the power of youth". "Miso's good," I say. I silently curse myself for being so lame, it's like all the beautiful poetry and warmth he stirs up in me are only capable of coming out as inelegant burps of raw hormones. I take another bite of my ramen, making sure to look right at Naruto as I do so. Even with a move so blatant I still only see a friend's interest in his eyes. I feel my cheeks heat up again, and throw myself off of the edge. "Naruto, do- do you think I could... come over to your place for ramen, sometime?"

"Sure! I've got tons of different kinds of instant ramen, and some other stuff too, if you change your mind."

"Maybe... tomorrow, then?" He nods, and for a moment I can hear a triumphant fanfare playing in my head. I take note of all the feelings swirling around within and washing all over me, getting a little woozy for a second. I don't even notice the rest of my meal, and Naruto's voice is like the pleasant chirping of birds outside my window.

Suddenly I'm back at my family's house, falling back onto my bed, exhausted with happiness. "Today... was a good day..."


	3. Chapter 3

The stink bomb had been a surprise. Though, what else could I have expected from a prankster such as Naruto? He'd had the windows open when I visited, but that hadn't helped much.

Even so, I had felt an immense pull, a force drawing me to him. I almost enjoyed it, really.

So, today, I decided to call on my old classmate Ino Yamanaka. The weather's lovely, and the watched feeling focuses on my face for a second as the breeze passes over it. It's a kind of pressure now, weighing down on my mind. I think of what I'm going to Ino's for, and that helps lessen it.

The Yamanka estate is a lovely place, and the main house is always well decorated with flowers. I'm not a terribly good flower arranger, as I've focused more on my training so that I could walk with Naruto wherever he goes.

I knock on the front door, and am greeted by Mrs. Yamanaka. "Ah, Miss Hinata. Please come in. It's been a good while since we've seen you here," She says as we walk along the entrance hall.

"Yes, it has. Is Ino in at the moment?"

"Mm-hmm, she's in her room right now. Is there something you've been itching to talk to her about?"

"Yes, there's a feeling I've been having lately I want her help and advice on."

"Ah. You know, I've heard her mention she saw you at Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto the other day..." Again, the feeling pulses through me at the mention of his name.

"Uh- it... it is related to that," I say. It's true, though not in the way that Mrs. Yamanaka probably thinks.

"Well," She says leaning in to whisper conspiratorially, "If you don't mind me giving you my opinion, if he wasn't so set on Sakura you'd be perfect for each other."

I look at my feet, and begin to blush. "I think so, too..." I whisper to myself. We arrive at the hall leading to Ino's room, and Mrs. Yamanaka lays a hand on my shoulder.

"Let me know if you girls need anything, okay?" I nod, and walk over to Ino's room. Knocking on her door, I get a little nervous. After a few moment's wait I hear her walking up to the door, and it opens.

"Oh! Hinata. What's up?" She asks, waving me in. She's dressed very casually, just wearing gym shorts and a loose tank top. A few things are out of place here and there, and on her bed are a bag of chips and a cola. I begin to think I've caught her at a bad time, that she might need some space. I sit down on her bed, and she settles next to me cross-legged.

"If you don't mind, I... would like your help with something..."

"You need help with Naruto?"

"No, I'm okay with him. It's... this feeling I have. I'd like your help training."

"What kind of training?" Ino asks with a raised eyebrow, taking a bite of some chips.

"Sensor training. I think that if I'm trained as a sensor type ninja, I'll be able to find out what it is."

"No problem," Ino assures me, washing down her bite of chips with some cola. "Sensor type training is actually pretty easy to pick up, it's just a matter of how good you want to get."

"Oh. It's easy?"

"Yeah, you've just got to fine-tune things. As ninja, we get it drilled into our freaking DNA to recognize that feeling of being watched. Sensor type training is taking that feeling, and sharpening and extending it with your chakra."

I shiver, and ask, "You can do that?"

Ino nods. "Yeah. That feeling is part of your spirit, and moulding chakra is just blending your physical and spiritual energy. Here, I'll do your first little exercise right now. Close your eyes, and after a little bit try to sense where I'm watching you from." I do so, and hear Ino get up off of the bed. Her footsteps are silent, and the creaking of the floor I noticed walking to her bed doesn't sound. I try to listen for her breathing, but I can't hear anything. I focus on my ninja training, but since I can't look, I have to rely on my spirit. The feeling that's been dogging me for the last few days fades slightly, and shifts deeper in. There. On the edge of the feeling is something else, and I point over towards the window. I hear a clap, and open my eyes. "See? That wasn't so hard. You just have to work at recognizing it."

"But, how would I do that with my chakra?"

"With Yin Release. If you mould your chakra to be Yin release and extend it, you should be able to register the feeling on a wider scale, and better sense the chakra of others." Ino studies my face for a second, and comes back to sit down across from me. "...Who is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have a Byakugan, Hinata, and yet you want to learn chakra sensing. Who's bothering you?" The watched feeling stays deep within me, but flares up and takes hold of my heart. Ino leans in, waiting for my answer.

"I don't know, Ino. I've been feeling like someone is watching me the last few days- no matter where I go, the feeling is following me. I starting to wonder if I'm being haunted by a ghost." I secretly think Ino would think I'm being superstitious, but instead she sighs.

"I think we're all being haunted by a few ghosts," Ino says, taking a long drink of her cola. I now realize why Ino and her room had a bit of a rumpled look. She leans over and wraps her arms around me, and I return the hug, starting to tear up a bit. The feeling takes over me, like it had when I was with Naruto, just as strong. I wind my fingers through Ino's hair, and she looks up at me. She searches through my eyes for a moment, and then her lips touch mine, hesitant and yearning.

The feeling surges strongly, and all of me reacts to it and the kiss. I pull back. "Ino, I..."

"Sorry... well, no, I'm not. I need someone, and I'm tired of seeing my friends and colleagues die. I just need someone _here_, right now, in this moment..."

"I'll be around if you need me, Ino. But, about what just happened-"

"You don't need to say anything, I know. Just let me hold you." I do, and Ino pulls me down to her side as she curls up into a ball, wrapping her arms around me.

Later in the day, I'm with my baby sister Hanabi working with the short exercise I did with Ino. We start out just in my room with her moving around from spot to spot. I try to shelve the watched feeling, but it stays, and at first it's hard to make out Hanabi's stare. But then I recognize the difference between the two, and sensing my sister gets easier. Both are primal, but one feels ghostly, and the other more visceral.

Working the technique with my chakra is different. First there's getting the right balance to my Yin Release, but the main problem is being able to _feel_ my sister watching me, her gaze on my cheek. "There." Before I open my eyes I point, and when I open them my finger is leveled right at where my sister is standing- next to my door.

"Did you really just learn today?"

"Yes." I smile. "I might even help teach you, if we're off on the same days again. Now, remember where I'm sitting on my bed here, and focus on it. Go out into the hall or somewhere, and 'look' into my room."

"With my Byakugan?"

"No, without your Byakugan." Hanabi nods and looks me over briefly, then bows and leaves my room. I focus and work up my Yin Release, slowly letting it extend through my room and then beyond. I feel some people- my relatives, I guess- but their signatures are vague, and I keep sensing for my sister. I sense someone stop moving, and then I can feel my sister. It's very sharp, and between my sister's gaze and the other feeling, I shudder. I note where she is and try to stand, but the feelings swell and I fall to my side, involuntarily starting to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

I wasn't assigned any missions again, so I've decided to take a little trip. I'll be heading out of the village, going to a shrine East of Konoha. I've passed through the area once a few years ago on a mission. It's pleasant, with serene woods, and small stream flowing near the temple.

Though this is an off day, I've set a fast pace. I want to get there early so that I have plenty of time to look around and do what I came for. I hurried out of the house, only saying good morning to my parents and taking a couple of the nutrient bars I sometimes carry on missions. They're not the Double Chocolate Infinite Energy ones Naruto likes- I tried those and they stick to the roof of my when I chew them- they're a more sensible granola and dried fruit kind.

The weather is mild, but it's a hard run and I soon work up a sweat. The watched feeling brushes over my brow as I move strands of hair out of my eyes, and I flinch slightly. It's only a bit, but it's enough to throw me off, and my foot catches on a tree limb. I flip over as I fall- it's a long ways down- but I focus for a second, and as I'm face down again, I use a jutsu. "Water Style: Hand of Waves!" The torrent slows my fall, and I'm able to get my bearings and land my feet, thankfully. I shake off the moment, and keep going, staying on the ground for a little while. The rest of the run goes without incident, and it's nearing noon when I arrive at the stream near the shrine. I kneel down to get a drink from it, and eat one of my nutrient bars. The sunlight breaks through the trees in sacred and beautiful patterns, like golden tears of joy, and I take a deep breath. I'm sure that this will help.

After following the stream North for a minute I leap over it, and can see a building through the trees. I jog over, and the front door is open- "Come in." Warily, I remove my shoes and bow, and enter. The shrine maiden is seated in front of the incense stand, facing away from me. I step over and kneel down beside them. The maiden is silent, and I feel that she's waiting for me to speak. Her face is calm, and ageless. She could be a few years or a few decades older than me; I can't tell. She opens her eyes, and looks over towards me. "Well?"

"Ma'am... would you talk with me about spirits?"

"Spirits?"

"Yes, spirits. Or ghosts, rather."

"Why would such things interest a young woman like yourself? Ninja do not deal in spirits." This is slightly startling, as she just opened her eyes, and I didn't introduce myself as a ninja. I'm not even wearing my forehead protector today.

"I feel that I'm being haunted. Something has been following me for the last several days."

"Perhaps it is another ninja."

"No, I'm certain it isn't, ma'am. My dojutsu, the Byakugan, hasn't seen anyone around me, even when I was in isolated places. And, I've just started training as a sensor type ninja, and I can't sense anyone around, either."

"You know, I've heard stories of how the second Tsuchikage could become untraceable. Perhaps another has reached that level of mastery."

"That... could be possible, but I doubt it. In the last few years ninja have been focused more on warfare than stealth." The shrine maiden looked deep into my eyes, her own clear blue eyes piercing and removing any doubts of her age.

"I will help you. But only if you are certain it is no ninja that is following you, young Hyuga."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Maybe it will refresh your spirit to linger here at the shrine for a little while."

"Maybe it will..." I light a stick of incense and sit back down next to the shrine maiden, silently speaking to my ancestors for a few minutes. Though I feel a bit more relaxed after resting in the shrine from my run, I don't feel all that different. I rise, and make my way out of the shrine, putting my shoes back on and walking around the building. Around the back in the courtyard is a bonsai garden, in the middle of which is a koi pond. A small bench is next to the pond, and I walk along the path to sit on it. The koi are lazily swimming around. As I watch them, I wonder of what other ways there could be to sense ninja. If my spirit and sight aren't working, what about the other four? Smell is possible, I know- Kiba and his clan specialize in it. Hearing could be sharpened. Taste- well, if I could detect someone with taste, I could probably do it with the other five first. So touch, then. That sparks an almost lost connection in my mind, and I decide to head back to Konoha to talk with Naruto. I go back to the front to make a small donation in the box, and depart.


	5. Chapter 5

I guess this is one of those rare periods of peace where not too many people get missions. Naruto made it back into the village this morning, and I'm on my way over to his house. I start to quiver as I get near to his door and the watched feeling meanders over me, making my trembling worse. I jog up the steps to his door, and knock. It's quickly answered. "Oh, hey, Hinata! Come on in! I finally got rid of the stink bomb smell." I noticed right when he opened the door, and I smile. "I was just watching some old Kamen Rider reruns, nothing too crazy. So what's up?"

"I just wanted to talk for a little bit. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure!" We walk over to sit on the edge of his bed, facing the TV.

"I was just... wondering about Gaara." I say, the watched feeling almost staring out of me at Naruto.

"What about him?"

"Did he ever talk to you about the second Tsuchikage?"

"Not really. I think the only thing he said was that he respected him as a Kage, but not a person."

"Do you know how he could have detected his presence?"

"Probably with his sand, like everything else," Naruto says with a shrug. Aha! That must be it. Even if he was invisible and untraceable, he still would have taken up space. As I think of ways to do that kind of perception jutsu with water natured chakra, Naruto continues. "I know he can do this weird thing where he makes an eye with his sand, but the Tsuchikage was supposed to have been an ace with cloaking jutsu, so I bet it wasn't with that. Maybe used his sand as a kind of mist or something, like a balloon filled with paint, ya know?"

"Balloon filled with paint?"

"Yeah, like, if someone was using a cloaking jutsu, and you hit them with the balloon, you could see the paint dripping off of 'em."

Like a mist. Of course! In fact, I think I even saw the Hidden in Mist Technique in that jutsu scroll. I smile at Naruto, and begin to enjoy watching the Kamen Rider episode. It's something of an escape, being able to watch a show for younger kids like this. Involuntarily- well, maybe not- I scoot a bit closer to Naruto. The watched feeling is boring through me, almost nailing me to Naruto. After watching and waiting for year after year, the ghostly feeling has worn down my resistance and I give in, leaning over and kissing Naruto on the cheek. He begins to pull away but I wrap my arms around him, now kissing him full on the mouth. Just the beginning of this would have been enough, but I feel compelled to carry on by the watched feeling. I straddle Naruto, and almost immediately the watched feeling surges up into a very private area, hungrily searching. I gasp, and sit back beside Naruto. The Kamen Rider episode babbles on in the background, a wave of white noise breaking over an island of silence.

"H- Hinata... I... I'm a guy, and as a guy I don't mind that kind of thing, but..." He looks at me, and we both know he won't have to finish the sentence.

"...That's okay," I say, even though I'm not exactly okay with it only many levels. "I, I don't know what I was thinking. I- I know that... you're... I should go." I stand and turn to leave, walking to the door.

"Hinata, wait!" He grabs me by the wrist, and pulls me in, holding me by the shoulders. "We..." He looks away for a second, then continues. "We both know who I like as a girlfriend. But in a different way, I like you even more than them. You stood up to Pain for me, and there was no one else who did that. And that's not even counting the tons of things you've done for me besides that. I'm kinda lucky to have lots of friends, but... I need you. I need you if I'm going to be me."

"Exactly. And that's the problem, Naruto: you don't need me the way you need her." Naruto gulps.

"Just this once, I guess. If you want, that- um... if you want to..." As much as it pains me to, I'm not going to take the offer; I don't want it given out of pity. Trying not to cry, I turn around and leave Naruto's apartment.

Later in the day, I'm at the library in the Hokage Tower. Only active chunin and jonin with no demerits(a group I'm fortunate to be a part of) are allowed in, and today it's very quiet. I'm still in a low mood from my visit to Naruto's apartment earlier, but I'm here with a purpose. Among the personal books and maps of the previous Hokage are a number of jutsu scrolls. The bulk of these come from the third Hokage, who was said to know every jutsu in the village. They're organized by the colored dots on the scroll handles, red for Fire Release, blue for Water, and so on. Their are a number of colors I don't recognize, but I'm here for water jutsu, so I pick one with a blue dot on the handle and move to the nearest table.

"Hinata! Hello." I look over, and it's Lady Tsunade's assistant Shizune walking towards me. "How are things? I don't see you in here that often."

"Oh, well, they're going just fine, I suppose." I hold up the scroll I just took off the shelf. "I was poking around for water jutsu to study."

"In Lord Third's section? I think you might want to try Lord Second's instead, as that was his native element." I nod, and Shizune continues. "What type of water jutsu, specifically?"

"Well, I was wondering about elemental sensory jutsu. Do you know of any?"

Surprised, she answers, "Yes. Can't remember if anyone's asked about them before, though. Hmm..." Shizune sits down at the table, and I do the same, taking the seat next to her. "So, let's see. The Fire Release one I know of is the Vital Flame Torch, which allows you to sense body heat. Fairly useful if you're in dark or cold environments. Lightning Release, that would be Divine Spark, which picks up on bio-electric charges- but Tsunade's told me the control it requires would be better spent on another method. Earth, that's... Echoing Footstep Technique, which senses tremors in the ground, but I've heard there's another way to use Earth Release for tracking. With Wind Release there's the Sky Net jutsu, a technique from the Aozora clan, but they keep it locked up fairly well... and you said water, right?"

"Yes. Are there any Water Release sensory jutsu?"

"Yeah, and a pretty famous one, at that. For years and years it rained on Ame- everyone knows that- but what none of the civilians know was that the rain was actually a jutsu Nagato used: the Rainmaker Jutsu. Whenever the rain created by the jutsu is obstructed by an unfamiliar chakra signature he'd be able to know where." Shizune looks away towards the shelves, and I begin to wonder if she knows every jutsu in the village, too. She eyes the Water Release section of Lord Third's scrolls, and then looks back over at mine. "And you just randomly picked that out?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, it's in there, about four fifths of the way to the back." Shizune looks around, and leans in to whisper, "I think it'd be fine if you snuck that one off, most people come here for the maps and treaty records."

"I- I'll just copy it; I brought some paper and a pen with me."

Shizune nods, then starts. "Almost forgot what I came here for." She flashes a quick smile, then gets up and wanders farther back into the library. I turn back to the scroll and roll it open, and after a quick search I find the Rainmaker Jutsu. It requires good chakra control, which I like to think I have, but the scale makes it impractical to use for most ninja. Well, I don't intend to use it over a whole city, I don't have that much chakra; with the height I'd need to reach up I could cover a street, at most. Though, that would not be so bad in some situations. I nod, and get started copying the jutsu. With this and the mist one I'm going to develop, I think I'll be able to have all my bases covered: my Byakugan and natural sight, the normal Chakra Sensing Technique, the Rainmaker Jutsu for less constricted spaces, and the mist one for tighter spaces.

With the Rainmaker Jutsu copied, I put back the scroll and head off to my house. There are still a handful of hours of daylight left, so I decide to train instead, taking a couple nutrient bars with me in case I'm late for supper.

I'm on the way out to my spot deep in the training grounds when I decide to stop for a moment, and try out the range of my Chakra Sensing Technique. I get calm, and work up the chakra I need- I've just been practicing in the main house of my family's estate, but stretch out farther, and find I can keep going. Before I stop I sense several people moving around- and one is near the area of the clearing I'm headed to. I nod, feeling good about the range. It's not monstrously large like an experienced sensor's, but does cover an area big enough to hide a squad or two of ninja. I hurry off to the clearing, and coming to it, I see a young genin there, standing still. "Hello, Konohamaru!"

"Hey Hinata. Wasn't there a cliff here the other day?"

"Yes; this is just a genjutsu. I'll dispel it, hold on a moment..." I put up the genjutsu I normally use for privacy out here, the double layered Optic Delusory Technique. Konohamaru nods, but then turns towards me and squints. "Give my best to Moegi and Udon," I say, right before turning to walk off of the "cliff". Once in the clearing I get out my water jutsu scroll, opening it up to where the Hidden in Mist Technique is. Like many of my favorite taijutsu and ninjutsu, it's simple and refined. It won't require all that much chakra, even. I smile a bit, and, on my first try, execute it properly. As I begin to work it to see if Yin Release can sustain it, I think of how I'll unify it with my sensory abilities. After several minutes and many tries, I find a balance where the Hidden Mist Technique is also Yin Release. It's mostly Yin, which I think is fitting, as mist has a very ethereal quality to it. I'm not sure what difference it has between the normal version, but I make a note to check that later, and move on.

As I inferred from the Rainmaker Jutsu's description, I have to stay "connected" for the sensory side to work. I think that will be almost the same here, though I wonder if I could connect after performing it, or if that would just be the normal Chakra Sensing Technique. I decide to go the first way, and after taking a deep breath, make the hand seal and exhale the technique. At first I can't sense anything as it billows out, but shortly it creeps past the edge of the clearing and I can sense someone, their form slowly fading in- Konohamaru, probably. A success, then! It will take a bit of doing to get used to this hybrid technique, but I feel proud to know that it's possible. But then, I hear Konohamaru screaming. I step out, and he's on his back, flailing his limbs- he must have dispelled the first layer of the genjutsu. I dispel the second, but he doesn't stop screaming immediately. The mist is surrounding him, and he begins to almost hyperventilate.

"What- where...!" I walk over and pick him up, and he almost shoves me away. "Oh... Hinata..." But then he scowls, and squints at me. "What was that, just now..."

"I was working on a jutsu, this mist you see here," I say, gesturing towards the clearing. "But, Konohamaru, if you see the cliff genjutsu here, that means I would like a bit of privacy."

"This mist isn't even that interesting, it just looks like a normal light mist!" He says, kicking through the cloud at our feet.

"True, but this jutsu is only today's task. I may be working on something else, or trying to meditate." Konohamaru harrumphs and folds his arms, looking grouchy.

"Alright, fine. And what is this mist for, anyways?"

"It's part of a chakra sensing jutsu."

"What?"

"There might be times when the normal Chakra Sensing Technique is inadequate, so I developed this one for those situations. You know, I've heard there's a Fire Release sensory technique. You should ask Shizune about it sometime..." I smile, and start to walk back towards the village with Konohamaru.


	6. Chapter 6

The streak has been broken. After several days without a mission, I find I've been assigned to a team on today's trip to the mission room.

"Just to Tanzaku Quarters?" Asked Yuna, who'd been assigned as the mission's captain. It seems like I've only ever heard of miss Kinjo going out on escort or bodyguard missions, so this isn't unexpected.

"Yes, just to the quarters. They said they have protection in line there, and that you're free to go after you arrive." Said Lady Tsunade, looking up at Yuna.

"Did they say what kind of 'high value' cargo they were carrying?" Asked Tenzo, folding his arms.

"No, they just asked for it to be guarded, keep a close eye on it." We all share a few uncomfortable looks, but this isn't the first time any of us have had to safeguard an unnamed package for a merchant. Tsunade lowered her voice, and said, "But I've heard of this trading group before. They mainly deal tobacco and other drugs, but there are a few stories floating around of abductions and rival dealers being delivered to former clients in pieces." This is even less welcome news than a lack of information on the cargo, but Yuna only frowns slightly for a moment.

"How soon do we move out?" Tenzo asks.

"They're coming down through the North gate this afternoon, and you'll be leaving with them." Tsunade looks up at us, and asks, "Any more questions? Then you're dismissed."

Before getting stocked up on supplies, we meet over lunch to discuss our roles on the team. None of us have worked with each other before now.

"That's two," Tenzo says after taking a bite of his dango.

"But, I'm not an as experienced medic ninja as miss Kinjo, though." I say.

"That's fine," Yuna says. "I think that since there are two of us, we shouldn't split up medic duties. Besides, with you having your Byakugan, I think you should take point. That okay?"

"Yes," I nod.

"And also, we don't know how big this little caravan is," Says Chojiro. "We may be strung out along the whole thing."

"Rotating watch, like usual?" Asks Tenzo, taking another bite of dango.

"Of course," Yuna says. "Though, if you don't mind, I'd like you to take one of the night shifts the last couple days of the trip, Hinata." I see her reasoning behind this, and nod. Yuna takes a drink of her tea, and continues. "Now, aside from miss Hyuga here, I'm not familiar with any of your jutsu. I don't want any surprises coming out in the middle of a fight."

"I'm basically the greatest Fire Release user ever," Chojiro says, taking a long drink of his sake.

"Please, everybody knows you only know two jutsu," Tenzo says, referring to the Fireball Jutsu and the Phoenix Flower Jutsu.

"But everybody also knows that no one does them like I do." He takes a sip of his sake, and says, "Just wait until I learn my third."

Yuna clears her throat. "Okay, so that's one Fire Release user. Tenzo?"

He shifts in his seat. "I know a wide range of useful jutsu. But, uh, none of them are elemental." Chojiro smirks, and Yuna shoots him a glance.

"So things like shuriken jutsu, then." Tenzo quickly nods. "As for myself, I'm training in Lightning Release, but mainly find myself more comfortable in hand to hand combat." Yuna looks around at us, and says, "I'm sure there will be plenty of easy time on the mission, so we'll work on coordinating things while we're on the road." For a few minutes we're silent, focused on eating. When we're done, Yuna picks up the tab, and we go to prepare.

Usually, I don't make much use of shuriken on my missions, but I pack some extra, just in case. With my usual mission gear quickly found and packed, I decide to copy one jutsu from my Water Release scroll, and bring it with me to study. As I'm scanning them one catches my eyes: Black Rain Jutsu. Hmm. After only a moment, I decide to take it. It has a couple similarities to the Rainmaker Jutsu, and with it being black, I could use my Byakugan to use it almost undetected at night. I soon have the jutsu copied from my scroll, and tuck it into my jacket. I decide to take extra nutrient bars, and other travel foods, too. It's still fairly soon after lunch, so I head out to one of the training grounds to practice my two rain jutsu.

First, I work on their common element: the creation of rain. Rain comes from clouds, which are a kind of condensation, a bit like mist- like a hearty stew, instead of a broth, in food terms. It's not quite that easily done, as there are winds blowing above the ground I can feel where I'm at, breaking up my small clouds. Denser, then. I focus on the concentration of my Water Release, and the cloud survives the breeze, and begins to rain down big, fat drops of water. I smile and move out from under it to observe it, but not long after the rain stops. Ah- perhaps a bit more refined. I work on controlling the release of rain for many minutes, before I realize I have somewhere to be and hurry off to the North gate. I feel good with how I've worked it so far, though. It should be simple enough to complete the jutsu later. An idea sparks in my mind, but I shelve it for another time as I hurry off to the gate.

I see Yuna is already there, and off to my side I see Chojiro coming up, which surprises me as I didn't think him the type to be early for things. Yuna nods to me and Chojiro.

"You look like you got rained on," He comments.

"Yes, I was working on a jutsu that creates hurricanes of water sharks." Chojiro eyes me skeptically, and I sigh. My attempts at humor are never appreciated.

"...Well, just don't use while we're in range," Yuna says. "You two ready to move out?"

"Mm-hmm." Yuna nods, and we loiter around the gate for alittle bit before I see Tenzo walking towards us. "About time! Was wondering when you'd show up, Kawada."

"It took me a while to get all my tools and supplies together," Tenzo says with an annoyed shrug. "They here yet?"

"No, but they should be soon." Yuna looks over her shoulder at the empty road behind her. Which, oddly enough, soon produce a carriage riding in. We wait and after a moment I can see a second carriage behind it, laden with boxes on the top. The horses whinny and snort as they get to the gate, the lead carriage coming to a stop. "Are you gentlemen headed to Tanzaku Quarters?"

"Yes, actually. Wait- you four wouldn't happen to be our ninja, would you?"

"We are."

"Excellent. We'll be going right through the village- could three of you travel with the boxes in the second coach? They're awfully expensive."

"Will do, sir." Yuna bows and takes Tenzo and Chojiro with her. The driver looks after them, then waves me over.

"What we're really transporting is in this coach," He whispers. "We just need a few extra people to throw off our pursuers, make them think the coach with our herbs in it is the valuable one. Keep this to yourself, okay?"

"Yes, sir." I walk around and hop up onto the bench, sitting beside the man. He has crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and dark stubble shading his jaw, and an overall tired appearance. He stays quiet as we ride through the village, and out the West gate. He seems more alert and his eyes dart across the road, looking into the trees and bushes. "The weather is lovely today..."

"Hmm. Yeah, it ain't bad. But knowing our luck with trip it'll be raining before sunset." The man stays quiet and watchful as he drives, and soon Konoha is fading behind us.

Hours later in the evening, the man's prediction comes true. I've been practicing the Rainmaker Jutsu, and have gotten it to where the cloud produces a gentle but steady rain. He shoots me a look, and I move the cloud farther away from the carriage. I think now that I've got the basic building block of the technique down, it will be simple to connect my chakra sensing to it. I decide to move on to the Black Rain Jutsu. Though structurally similar, the chakra composition is different: slick and oily, rather than natural water. The hand seals help with the chakra control, and soon enough the rain takes on a slick black appearance. My first few tries merely had the look of dirty water. I sense the driver is getting tired of the rain, though, and stop with my practice.

Though tense, a couple more hours pass without event, and far ahead to our right I see a semicircular clearing in the trees by the side of the road. The caravan edges over and rolls into the clearing, lining the far edge. Yuna sends Tenzo and Chojiro off for firewood, and gives me a nod. I activate my Byakugan and survey the area, only finding wildlife, the caravan drivers, and my team- until I look down right before I was going to deactivate my Byakugan. I double check the coach I rode on, and it's no mistake: there are seven small women/young girls stuffed into it. The driver is off relieving himself, and I'm about to check in on the girls when Yuna walks over.

"Pretty boring so far, huh? I'd be using jutsu to make rain clouds to amuse myself if I could, too."

"Well, they weren't strictly for amusement," I say. "I've only recently learned the jutsu, so I was getting in some practice."

Yuna gives a small smile, and nods. "Better than what I had. There's only room for three on the driving seat, so Chojiro sat inside with the cargo. The fumes or something must have gotten to him, because the man is high as a kite right now. He's been telling me to summon Bahamut for the last half hour."

"Ah. That would explain why I heard him shouting strange things..." Yuna chuckles, and flips her hair out of her face.

"So what were those jutsu you were practicing, anyways?"

"One was a chakra sensing jutsu, and the other- the black one- is flammable."

"Hmm. What do you need a chakra sensing jutsu for? You have the Byakugan."

"I... have been feeling someone watching me, and couldn't detect them with normal means..."

Yuna frowns slightly, but only says, "Well, just let me know if you find anything, okay?" I nod, and she heads over to start making a fire pit.

I have the first watch. It's shortly after sunset, and I'm facing out towards the forest. Tenzo is in the tent to my right, already soundly asleep. I have a feeling he's the snoring type. I begin to empty my mind of its thoughts, entering an almost meditative state where my eyes aren't focused on any single object. I have a kunai at the ready in my lap but so far, the night is still. Until I hear snoring- not Tenzo, but Chojiro, who must be snoring very loud indeed if I can hear him this clearly from the other side of the carriages. My quiet focus lost, my thoughts wander for a little bit before settling on Naruto. I fear I may have ruined our friendship by giving in to the watched feeling's urging and kissing him. We'll still know each other, but whatever we might have won't be the same. I suppose what he said to me before I left was actually very nice, though I couldn't see it at the time. I sigh, and force myself to calm down. I take three slow and deep breaths, then use my mist jutsu. "Water Style: Creeping Mist..." I blow out a thick carpet of fog that expands weaves its way through the undergrowth, until it looks like a cloud has settled on the bottom of the forest. The dreamlike scene keeps my focus on the jutsu, and I lose track of time as the night goes on.

I sense the occasional mouse and rat crawling about, but the night is still, until I feel someone coming up behind me. "You did this, the mist?"

"Yes," I answer Yuna. "It's another sensory jutsu."

"Well, it's beautiful, but I'm not familiar with it, so if you wouldn't mind..." I nod and release the jutsu, the mist evaporating. The forest gets just the tiniest bit louder too, but that may have been my imagination. I get up and step over to my tent, very ready to get to sleep...

In the morning after the horses are fed, we set off at a quick pace. Chojiro happily took his seat inside the carriage with the boxes, and again I'm up front with the lead carriage. "You going to be making it rain again today?"

"Perhaps for a little bit, but I got in a good amount of practice yesterday." The man nods and flicks the reigns, urging the horses on faster. As the sun edges up in the sky, I do decide to practice a bit, but with my mist. Yesterday I had the idea of taking the Black Rain's chakra composition and applying it to my mist, and then perhaps later, with my chakra sensing abilities. First, I activate my Byakugan, and look ahead: the way is clear. At first the scope of the jutsu gives me trouble: instead of going vertical, it comes straight from my mouth. This mostly happens in spurts of black liquid. The driver sees this once and looks alarmed; I smile to show him I'm okay but apparently that was even worse. I remember the jutsu is supposed to come out as a mist, and a couple tries later, it does so. I wash my mouth out with a gulp of water, and return to watching the road.

Though I begin to feel worried, noon comes without trouble. We stop for lunch, but the drivers are always in view, and I'm not able to look in on the girls. I can see that they're there, but not tell what state they're in. Presumably they aren't doing so good, as they haven't been fed or let out to relieve themselves, as far as I know. Though it's not the one I've been feeling lately, the uneasy and watched feeling grows as we travel. It shifts from malign attention to outright Killing Intent, escalating to the point where I feel I have to tell Yuna and the drivers- I don't even need my Byakugan to check. "Captain Yuna, and sir, I think we're headed straight into an ambush."

"That's ridiculous. They shouldn't have been able to come straight through Konoha behind us, they should be at least a half day behind."

"Tenzo, and Chojiro- CHOJIRO!- get ready. I'll take point with Hinata." Yuna nimbly leaps onto my carriage, landing on the roof. The driver snaps the reigns, and coming around the curve I can see a bridge up ahead. Blocked by a group of rogue ninja. The horses whinny as they're pulled to a stop, and I follow Yuna down to stand between the horses and the ninja.

"GIVE US BACK OUR GIRLS!" Shouts one man, having a desperate and ragged voice and appearance. He draws a katana and steps forwards, pointing it at the lead driver. "I know you have them with you, and if for one second-" The man is cut short by a lightning bolt spearing into the ground at his feet, making him flinch back. He quickly regains his composure, and signals for some of his ninja to move to our right. Shouldn't he have some to our left? That's when movement catches my eye in that direction- floating on the calm surface of the river is another group of ninja, ready to attack.

"Hinata?" Tenzo asks. "Now would be a great time to use that shark tornado jutsu you mentioned..." He thinks I was actually serious, wow. Though I don't know any such jutsu, I'm a short dash away from the river, and there is something I can do. Water walking is one of the most fundamental ninja skills; using your chakra to not break the surface tension is something that even Lee, who can't use regular jutsu, can do. And as I learned when I first began training my nature transformation, disrupting the surface tension is even easier than water walking. In a split second I leap over to the river bank and dip a finger in the water, using my chakra to break the surface tension. And once it goes, it goes _fast_- a few of the ninja see it coming, but none have time to react before the rip reaches them and they sink into the river.

I dart back to stand beside Yuna. We're stlil outnumbered, and the way is blocked to our fron and right. "Hold off on your jutsu," The man with the katana orders. "We're not going to do that so close to them..."

"There aren't any girls with us," Yuna says. "You're mistaken, and need to move away." The man takes another step forwards, and to the right of the bridge I see the sunken ninja starting to climb out of the river.

"Black Mist to your right..." I whisper to Yuna. She takes a small step forwards, and I quickly form the hand seals and blow out a wave of the mist, like nightfall creeping over the river bank. "Chojiro!"

He give me a dopey smile. "I've seen the alignment of the cosmic anuses," He says, while stringing together a long sequence of hand seals and then blowing out a terrifyingly magnificent phoenix of flames. It swoops over the ninja to our right, igniting the mist with a whoosh. The flames propel the phoenix even faster to the ninja on the bridge, running through them and setting them alight before dissipating like a handful of flower petals tossed upwards. The dopey grin returns, and Chojiro looks over to Tenzo. "Even electronic brain pancake crystal elderly." And with that, he promptly passes out.

"Put out the bridge, and toss them in!" Yuna orders. I shake my head clear and use the Hand of Waves jutsu to douse the flames, moving in and quickly tossing the charred ninja off the bridge. Many of them are still conscious, but I don't know how they'll swim out of a river with such heavy burns. In a few moments the bridge is cleared, and the lead driver waves me and Yuna off. The carriages ride through, not stopping to pick up my team, and we have to jump on as they go by.

"Son of a bitch finally learned a third jutsu," Tenzo says from the second carriage. We barely have time to catch our breath, the caravan riding at a full gallop.

As I would later learn at dinner, Chojiro doesn't remember the confrontation at the bridge, at all. I'm still a little nervous, the face of the man who'd drawn his katana sticking in my mind. Perhaps he was a relative of one of the girls. An extra bit of anxiety comes from having snuck my nutrient bars to the captives- they were indeed girls, dirty and malnourished. Barely a heartbeat after I dispelled the Optic Delusory jutsu, the driver was walking back to the carriage to get his bedroll.

Yuna has the first watch tonight, so I get to take a short nap, or at least try to. Between the watched feeling and the situation with the girls in the carriage, I'm too tense to sleep. I do my best to let my body rest, but just as it seems I'm starting to, Yuna knocks on my tent pole. I sigh, and head out. "You did good today..." She says, giving me a tired smile before stepping over to her tent. Taking a few calming breaths, I get seated and stare out into the night. I think of what, if anything, I'll do about the girls, then perform my Creeping Mist jutsu and settle down for a long watch.

In the morning, I wake up from a dreamless sleep. No one really says anything, we're still a little bit on edge from the confrontation at the bridge yesterday. From what I remember, Tanzaku Quarters is close by, now. If we keep the same pace we set yesterday we should get there soon after sunset.

The driver looks over at me, the wind whipping his hair around. "You told the others about our special cargo?"

"No, sir. I haven't told them."

"This run was supposed to have been a secret. Sure, people get kidnapped, but they shouldn't have been able to trace it back to us."

"If you don't mind me saying so, perhaps you need to vary your methods."

"A midnight smash-and-grab needs no variation."

"Maybe it has to do with who you took..."

"Not with this bunch. They're basic, run-of-the-mill product." Though I take offense at how the driver described the girls, I hold my tongue. The driver sighs and turns his attention back to the road, unnecessarily flicking the reigns to goad the horses on. They've been riding hard since last afternoon, and while I'm no expert on horses, I'd imagine they'll need a break sometime besides during lunch. Lunch comes without incident, and I rub the necks of the horses for a moment as I check to see where everyone is. The drivers are off relieving themselves, as is Tenzo. As Yuna walks around the second carriage to check on Chojiro I perform the Optic Delusory genjutsu, projecting a scene of me leaning against the carriage. Quickly I open the door, and look in on the girls.

"Here..." I say, passing them the last of my nutrient bars. "We're getting close, just hold on a little longer." I shut the door and release the genjutsu, finding the driver walking up. He looks at me strangely. "Yes?"

"...It's like I just blinked, but I know I didn't..."

"Well, this trip's been hard on all of us." The driver stares up at the sky as he mutters something to himself, and rifles through his pack to find something to eat. I hear someone coming up behind me, and I turn to see Yuna walking over. She doesn't look happy.

"What was that?" She fiercely whispers.

"I- I was checking on the cargo."

"You shouldn't need a genjutsu to do that."

"I was told to keep the cargo a secret, Captain Yuna. I should hardly think it would put me at fault for following the wishes of our employers."

"True. But you shouldn't need to keep your look in on the cargo a secret from your employers." Yuna stares deep into my eyes, her dark eyes like stone arrowheads. "Don't compromise the mission."

"I vow upon my family's honor that I won't compromise the mission, Captain Yuna."

"Good. Just play this by the book from now on, alright?"

"Yes, Captain." Yuna nods, and turns back to the second carriage.

We set off at a gallop again, and now that we're a good ways towards Tanzaku Quarters other wagons appear coming towards us. They skitter away to the other side, many times running off into the grass. The wild ride goes on, and I don't have time to relax and use the Chakra Sensing Technique. The ominous watched feeling from yesterday returns, faintly at first. I wonder if it's the ninja we left behind at the bridge. For a while, at least, I ignore it and try to focus on watching the road.

The noontime slides into the afternoon, and the feeling grows into a fiery wind, almost blowing me back. The Killing Intent breaks open like an egg sticking all over me. I try to put it aside for a little longer, but I can't anymore. I decide to check with my Byakugan just to make sure. After activating it I can't see anyone in the immediate area. I sharpen my focus from all around me to farther out, still finding nothing. Further extending the reach of my Byakugan- to its limit- I slowly scan the horizon. I do see people there, some riding on horses ahead of wagons, a few walking, and some standing in the forest. Actually, a large number of people standing in the forest. It's tense, but as we come along a dogleg in the road, it's clear that they weren't on the road, but are waiting off to the side. At the speed we're going, we'll be there in a a minute. "Captain Yuna! There's an ambush waiting for us up ahead!"

"Another one?!" The driver asks exasperatedly. I look out towards the front again, and see that the people with wagons have blocked the road off.

I turn to him, shouting over the horses galloping. "Slow down when we get close!" I'm not sure if he heard me, as his jaw sets in a hard line and he stares ahead at the road. I frown, and turn back to the second carriage. "Captain! They've cut off the road!"

"Alright! Chojiro, get ready to help Hinata again! Tenzo, we're going to shoot underneath!" The blockade appears in the distance, and I prepare to use the Black Rain jutsu. I form the hand seals and send out my chakra farther, wider, and wider still, farther than I've done for this jutsu before. I see the dark clouds take shape and begin to rain, like reality being wiped away. It's a noticeable strain on my chakra to maintain the jutsu at this range and scale, but I keep it up as we get close enough to make out the faces of those waiting for us. They aren't the same ninja- some of them don't even wear forehead protectors or look like ninja- but they all have the same aggressive and determined look on their faces.

Before Yuna or I give the signal, Chojuro uses the Phoenix Flower Jutsu, small balls of flame shoot off towards the barricade and the forest. The black cloud and the surrounding forest light up, a massive ball of flame scorching the earth and mushrooming up into the sky. The driver has barely slowed down. The Hand of Waves jutsu isn't strong enough to potentially clear the way, so I call upon one of my other first three water jutsu. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" I blow out a stern trumpet of water, spinning away one of the overturned wagons. It's not quite far enough away, but then a lance of lightning splinters it, and we're able to pass through the flames. I look back over my shoulder at the blaze and see Tenzo picking off two men that had stumbled out of the forest. The driver now has a strained and elated look, and drives the horses all out.

After a few minutes we slow to a fast trot. I have my breath back, and activate my Byakugan again to search the road ahead. This time, there aren't any ninja waiting for us. Hmm. What if the ninja that were chasing the caravan didn't make it past Konoha, and these that my team faced were from somewhere else, like Tanzaku Quarters? That would mean someone was expecting the shipment, and was coerced into disclosing the identity of their supplier. Or, perhaps, a relative of the girls knew of the... underground trade market in Tanzaku, and was quick enough to figure out where the girls would be going. Maybe both; in either case, that would mean someone is waiting for the girls and the caravan... which makes me wonder what kind of protection these people would have in the Quarters to not need us when we get there.

Later on in the afternoon, the traffic going to and from Tanzaku Quarters forces us to slow. I'm a surprised we got here as early as we have, given that it usually takes about a day longer. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be, with the pace the driver set. The afternoon stretches on, and though we're going at an easy pace now, I'm still nervous for what lies ahead in the Quarters. The trees thin out, and now near sunset, I can see our destination up ahead. "Junichi, we're going to go to the second instead of the first!" The driver calls over his shoulder. Moments later we pass through the gates and take a right turn, heading along the wall. Passing under an overhang jutting out from the wall, we come to a stop. The driver hops of the bench and walks to stand beside the back door of the building. "There's a pub in the front, so this would be a good place to grab a bite to eat if you're gonna do it now." Reaching into his sack, the driver takes out four small pouches and tosses them to my team. "A little bonus for getting us here safely." The driver nods to Junichi, who takes a couple of the boxes with him and follows the lead driver into the building.

My team trades a few looks, and they too head in to the building. "You coming, Hinata?" Asks Tenzo.

"In just a minute, I need to stretch my legs first."

"Alright." After the door closes, I check the alley. Clear. I whirl down and open the carriage door, stuffing my bonus into the hands of one of the girls.

I take out a kunai and slice through their restraints. "Run. Run as fast as you can." Before I even finish speaking they're doing so, as as the last and youngest girl leaves, I cast the Optic Delusory Jutsu to give the appearance the carriage is still occupied, and close the door. Technically, as I got the girls safely to the city, I didn't undermine our mission. I hurry into the building, the back of it dimly lit and smelling of tobacco and other smoking herbs, moans- of what type I'm not sure- softly poking at my ears. I make it into the pub, and immediately spot my team. Chojiro waves to me, and I go to sit at their booth.

"The server caught us as we came into the pub, and got us these pretty quick," Says Tenzo, pushing a mug over to me. I take a sip, and it's sake. Better than nothing, but I prefer water when I'm on a mission. There's a brief moment of quiet before Yuna speaks up.

"Do any of you want to hang around in the Quarters before we head back?"

Chojiro gives a noncommittal shrug. "I don't particularly care to, Captain," I say. Yuna raises her eyebrow in question, and I explain, "...I don't want to get caught up in whatever our employers have going on."

"Fair enough," Tenzo says before taking a sip of his sake. "If you ask me, we ran into too many ninja for what was in the coach." I nod, doing my best to ignore the look from Yuna.

"Back on the road after we finish our drinks, then?" The rest of the team nods, and we quietly finish our sake. I can't be out of this building soon enough. Mercifully, before long we are out and on our way back to Konoha, the setting sun behind us as we sprint away.


	7. Chapter 7

A couple of ideas begin to form in my mind. It's my mandatory day off after a mission back in Konoha, and I'm resting on my bed, arms folded on my stomach. Today, after the training and stress of the last couple weeks, I actually want to rest, instead of my more normal off day activities.

That was how it started, anyways. A nice soak in the village's hot springs was my intention, but the watched feeling crawled all over me and I didn't stay as long as I'd wanted to. I think of the girls I freed on my mission, and how they're doing- well, I hope. They were so dirty and malnourished, it was like they'd been treated as animals. Their restraints had begun to wear at their skin. Hopefully the money in that satchet I'd given them would be enough to get food, and perhaps shelter. It's certainly possible that they could be recaptured, but there are plenty of places to hide in Tanzaku Quarters. The situation is like a shogi match, I think. The people the girls were stolen from was expecting something like what had happened, and in turn, the kidnappers had had a second drop-off point in case the first was too risky; each party thinking a move ahead. And then I set the girls free. Unexpected breakthroughs are no guarantee in a shogi match, though. The sudden opening might just be a trap.

I think of how to work the match as a third player, but it becomes too tedious to plan out without an actual shogi board, which I don't have, so I abandon the thoughts for now. I come back to the first of my plans, which hopefully I will be able to get started on before my next mission. I sit up and sigh. I'm not in the mood to see the person right now, but they're the first person I think of when it comes to sealing jutsu, so I'll have to give it a shot. I get up and quickly comb my hair, then pick up my pen and ink and leave.

The way is familiar, and I'm soon there. My hand hesitates before it nocks on the door, remembering the last visit. I steel myself and knock, looking down and taking a step back. "Hey... uh, Hinata. Come in." Naruto smiles, and invites me in. "So... what's up? I was gonna talk to you the other day, but I heard you were out on a mission."

My cheeks need to learn to behave themselves, and not redden at the simplest phrases Naruto speaks. "Yes; I came back to Konoha yesterday. Um... I... need your help with something."

"What kind of help? Like, a jutsu or something?" Naruto eyes me suspiciously for a second.

"Yes, a jutsu. " I say, perhaps too quickly. I clear my throat, and continue. "Naruto, what do you know about sealing jutsu?"

"Oh, sealing jutsu? Well, they can be kinda tricky. They're kinda of like writing a wall with words and being really careful to not leave any loopholes." Naruto levels another suspicious squint at me. "What do you need a sealing jutsu for? I heard from Konohamaru you were working on some misty sensory jutsu thingy and fu- erm, 'freaking evil' genjutsu."

"First, the genjutsu isn't evil- Konohamaru is just afraid of heights- and second, the mist sensory jutsu went well. Perhaps I could show you sometime. Anyhow, I wanted to ask you about sealing jutsu that deal with spirits, because... well..."

It takes a second for Naruto to get it. "Ah, yeah. Ha ha. Well let's see, spirits..." Naruto looks around, then walks over to his nightstand to get a scrap of paper and a pencil. He grabs his old team picture and sits down on the edge of his bed. "I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that the part of my seal that deals with Kurama's spirit slash chakra goes like this..." Naruto sketches out the seal language, stopping to erase a few small bits. "There, like that. I got stuck with the Yang half, so it's probably a little different than normal, but that's basically it, I think. I'm sure you've seen tons of seals that held physical stuff, right? You just need to write the wall around the spirit part."

I nod, and ask, "Are there any other seals you know besides this one?"

"Let's see... yeah." Naruto begins sketching again, this time a simple torii gate. "This one I did with the key from the original seal, it just kinda seems like a less complicated thing, to me."

"Where's the key?"

"On a frog's stomach." There's a short silence, and Naruto shakes his head. "Nevermind, forget about the Torii Seal." Naruto scribbles out the gate, and I sit down beside him.

He looks over, and suddenly I know he's thinking about what happened, too. "Naruto, about what you said the last time, I wanted to thank you..."

"Oh, uh, you're welcome." He smiles, absentmindedly scratching the back of his neck.

"...And also, I wanted to say I think Sakura feels the same way about you."

His eyes bulge out for a second before he catches himself. "Wow, that's, wow. I thought that confession back then was a fake..." He says, a dopey grin spreading across his face.

I stab the comment into his happy moment's neck. "It was a fake," I say, looking down at my lap for a second. When I look up Naruto is nonplussed, and I wonder how he hasn't seen it. I guess we both had the same problem. "What... what I mean to say is... she wants you, and she needs you, but there isn't any way that she's ever going to love you the way you want her to..."

Naruto looks away to the wall, expression sagging into melancholy. "Yeah... I've thought about that a few times... but people can learn to love each other, ya know?" My heart skips a beat, but I merely bow my head to Naruto's unbelievable determination.

There's silence for a few moments, and in my heart I shout to Naruto _"But I will!"_ "Well, do you think I could borrow your sketch of the seal?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto smiles and hands it to me, and I return his smile. With this done hopefully I'll be able to relax the rest of the day.


	8. Chapter 8

With the ink and blank scroll prepared, I set off. This is another off day, and I've decided to pay another visit to them. Though courteous, they refused to help last time, but I've gotten the proof I need since then. I'm sure I can convince them.

I've taken a fast pace, as I did last time. The forest is calm, with few birds, or other animals stirring. The morning passes quickly. I stop for a small snack, a few red berries from a nearby bush.

I again think of the girls I freed on my last mission, and where they are now. As a ninja, I'm aware that it's dangerous to get attached to your clients, but I can't help myself. I also think of how those awful traders and the girls' relatives will react to a third group interfering in their business- if they'll try to find out who I am, or if they'll even notice. Hmm. Though I've never thought much of them, I do suppose my looks would be distinct to a non ninja- especially my eyes. Perhaps I'll need a new way of thinking to deal with them. Instead of being a third player in their game, I'll make it look as if I was there all along. Still, this is a tricky business I got caught up in. I'll have to be careful and work at getting stronger. Who knows, maybe I'll actually devise that shark hurricane jutsu the team I worked with on the mission seems to think I know.

With my wind back, I dash off and quickly come to the shrine. There's a sort of singing to the silence of the forest here. I walk up the the box and make a donation, then off my shoes and step in. The room seems to be empty, and there's no incense burning. I go back out to get my shoes, and check around the back. There, sitting on the bench next to the koi pond, is the shrine maiden. "Hello..." She doesn't answer, but I sense she is waiting for me to step closer and continue. "...I've studied new sensory jutsu in the days since my last visit, and I'm certain now..."

"Are you?"

"Yes. I cannot detect anyone following me with my normal sight or Byakugan, I can't hear anyone following me, can't smell them, can't feel anyone around with my hands or my new sensory jutsu, and not with the regular Chakra Sensing Technique, either."

The shrine maiden is silent for a few moments. "What does this new sensory jutsu involve, exactly? If it isn't destructive, perhaps you could show me."

I nod. "Water Style: Creeping Mist!" The white mist billows out and swirls around us. With a great shock, I realize I can't sense the shrine maiden with it! "But, but you're right in front of me..."

"Your mist cannot sense me because I am one with nature. Indeed, that is the focus of my meditation here. To your senses, I would seem to be no more than a stone or tree." The shrine maiden opens her eyes, and looks up. "Also, earlier, you forgot the sense of taste."

"Well..." That's true, but what good would the sense of taste serve for a sensory jutsu? I can't very well lick every stone or bush I come across.

"Think of the snakes. Do they not taste the air? I am sure that being a ninja, you could find some way to do the same."

"...What of you being one with nature? Would I be able to sense you if I was in the same state?"

"Of course. Though they do not speak with our tongues, the trees and grass greet each other and are good friends." Hmm, being one with nature. Ah. Of course. Though I'd have to study under him I'm going to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this. After a few moments of silence I bow, and take my leave.

Though my mood was soured a bit by the visit, I now have several things to do. I make it back to Konoha mid afternoon, but don't stop at my house first. On the run back I remembered one of the other dojutsu of Konoha, one not as renowned as my own Byakugan or the Sharingan. Its bearers have never advertised its use, and their clan only has a small alley to themselves. It is this alley I head for. The paper lanterns hanging from their back doors are already lit, holding back the shadows of the alley. I've heard of this particular clan member and know their address, and they're about half way down the alley.

We've never spoken to each other before, so it's with a bit of hesitance I knock on their door. There's a short silence before I hear someone coming to the door. "Oh! Hello, miss Hyuga. Come in." I smile at Aoba and enter, getting a quick glance around the front room. "What brings you to our alley today?"

"I... was wondering if you had a moment to help me with something..."

"Yeah, I've got the day off. What's up?"

I gulp. Aoba and the other Yamashiro are known for never removing their sunglasses, so I'm not sure how he'll take this. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to use your Daiyagan and take a look at me." Aoba's easy smile fades, and he gets a quizzical look on his face.

"You've got a Byakugan, don't you? I'm sure that'd work better."

"I asked my sister to look the other day, and she couldn't see anything. And, the Daiyagan is different- it sees emotions. I want to make sure I get everything covered."

"...Alright, then. Now, I should ask, are you referring to a certain forbidden jutsu, or a more normal look?"

Forbidden jutsu? I've never heard of the Yamashiro having one to do with the Daiyagan. "Just a more normal look at me and a couple feet around me." Aoba nods and takes off his sunglasses, his eyes having a diamond-like sparkle. After only a moment he puts his glasses back on.

"There's nothing around you, Hinata..." I sigh, and he continues. "But you're afraid. What's going on?"

"A watched feeling has been following me for about the last fortnight or so- here in Konoha, and even on the last mission I went on a few days ago. I can't detect it by other means, and I'm starting to think it's a ghost."

"Hmm... well, I've never heard anything about seeing ghosts with the Daiyagan before, but it'd make sense to be able to. Ghosts have emotions, right? I'll look into that some more and maybe give you a call if I find anything." I nod, and stand.

"Thank you for your help." Aoba smiles, and I turn to go. It seems like more questions appear to closer I get to the truth...


	9. Chapter 9

I'd never thought to be grateful for comparatively weak senses of smell and taste. Soon after I returned from my visit to Aoba, I headed to my room and straight away began to study snakes. Since Orochimaru's invasion a few years ago I've had a vague dislike of them, but through the safety of my books, I find them interesting enough. They're deaf, which I hadn't known.

I focused on their sense of smell and taste, are intertwined. The first day was spent trying to enhance those senses, as I had with my other jutsu. I must have looked so silly flicking my tongue in and out. It was at dinner that it came to me, that to bolster a very physical sense, I would need Yang Release. I took my time with the rest of my meal, savoring each bite.

Despite the revelation, success didn't come instantly the next day, not even quickly. For hour, I worked at getting the right proportions to my Yang Release. Then, I worked at hand seals, which did come quickly- the Snake hand seal. The refinement makes a difference, but a small one- and it may have just been my imagination, even then. I got frustrated with my slow progress and put in a heavy dose of power, finally getting some results.

The brief spike was overwhelming and nauseating; I doubled over and almost retched. It was then I realized I couldn't go either-or, I needed a balance of refinement and power. With that in mind, my progress picked up. It's gotten to an intense but manageable level, and I'm training with my baby sister Hanabi in her room.

"Come in, sister." I lower the blindfold over my eyes, and enter the room. Closing the door behind me, I prepare myself, and form the Snake hand seal.

"Flickering Tongue Jutsu!" Ow! Hanabi left the jar of wasabi powder right by the door, this time. I kneel down to get it, and push up the blindfold. "Farther away next time, please." Hanabi nods, and takes the jar.

"Sister, do you know who's following you?"

I sigh. "No, not yet."

"Maybe it's someone like the shrine maiden, who knows they can't be detected in the usual ways..."

"That's almost the only thing left," I say quietly. Wait- "Hanabi, did you read my journal again?"

"Yes- but it's because I want to help! I thought that maybe I'd find something in there to work on and do for you."

Have you been training with the Chakra Sensing Technique? Unless your chakra nature is water, that's all I can teach you. And besides, there are some very personal things in my journal, too."

Hanabi ignores that last bit. "What about this new one you're training? Will you teach it to me?

"I might as well..." My sister is a quick learner, and I am a little envious that she just gets the jutsu handed to her fully formed, instead of having to work it out, as I did. The expression on her face the first time she performs it correctly makes up for that, though.

As lunch comes, I'm more than ready to take a break. I mostly drink water to clear my palette, and have some ramen with a very light broth.

Despite working out another sensory jutus, I'm not feeling very accomplished. I still have a large hill ahead of me to climb if I want to find out once and for all just who exactly is watching me. So, it's time to pay him another visit. I quickly make my way over, and knock on the door. "Oh, hi again, Hinata. Come on in."

I try not to blush and fail, and we move to sit on hte edge of his bed. "Naruto, the other day I was at a shrine in the forest outside of Konoha, and met the shrine maiden. We talked for a moment about sensory jutsu, and she mentioned becoming one with nature. Would you say Sage Mode is like that?" Naruto looks up to the ceiling in thought, and I want to melt into his arms and breathe him in and be wrapped up in him.

"Well, yes... and no. I mean, when you're training or meditating to gather natural energy, it kinda is. but when you've gathered it and balanced it inside you, it isn't. Like, when you gathering the natural energy you're a field of grass or something, but when you've gathered it and have it balanced, it's more like you're a force of nature instead of a landscape, ya know?"

"I see. Um, I was wondering, can you sense the space around you with the natural energy before you take it in?"

"I dunno." I almost fall on my face, but Naruto continues. "But I guess you probably could. You can when you've got it drawn in and balanced, ya know? So I guess it's possible."

"Ah. The shrine maiden mentioned that something like it was possible, she said that the trees and grass greet each other. It really got me interested in learning about it." Naruto gives me a curious look, and I think he understands what I'm getting at.

He chuckles, the laugh fading into a grin. "You really want to learn Sage Mode, Hinata?"

"Yes..." My cheeks heat up, and I look down at my lap. "I'm sure there have been others that have asked you about it..."

"No, actually- not even Konohamaru. But ya know, that's kinda a nice way of thinking about it- like that shrine maiden said- the 'trees and grass greeting each other'. I guess I could teach you a little bit about sensing the natural energy, but if you want to get serious about it you'd have to train at Mount Myoboku."

I think about this for a second, how long it would take to become a sage, like Naruto. Perhaps, the first step of sensing the natural energy would be enough for what I need. "...Well, maybe I'll visit Mount Myoboku sometime later. I, I really would like to train with you, though..."

"Alright." Naruto grins again and I swoon, but then his stomach rumbles...


	10. Chapter 10

I shuffled forwards in the line wondering if I'd have another day without a mission. The small bit of training I did with Naruto yesterday went about as well as it could have. Though I couldn't recognize the nature energy around me, I could feel something there, softly calling to my awareness. It was also a relief to be quiet around Naruto; sitting close to him, being able to hear him breathe.

While I was lost in my thoughts the line cleared ahead of me, and someone cleared their throat. I step up and bow. "Good morning, Lady Tsunade."

"Good morning, Hinata," She says with a nod. Lady Tsunade leans forwards to look me in the eye. "I have a very important mission for you today: I need you to go buy me some sake."

"Oh, um... where from, Lady Tsunade?"

"Tanzaku Quarters. I'll give you the name of the shop keeper later." Of course, this is no simple sake run. The request is a code phrase meaning assassination, and the name of the shop keeper is the target. You still have to actually buy Lady Tsunade a bottle of sake, though. I bow, and take my leave. As I exit the mission room, I remember the girls headed to Tanzaku Quarters that I freed, and the two groups fighting for them. It makes sense that I would be sent for one of their leaders, in retaliation for what I did, or as a preemptive strike.

I don't immediately head home to prepare. Instead I make my way over to a small shop that sells toys and games, and purchase a shogi set. It just takes a moment to pack, and I set up the shogi board on my bed. I'm no master player, but it will help to have something in front of me to see and work with. I quickly take away a few of the lesser pieces, and look at what's left. The kings aren't exposed, so I take off two more pieces- the leaders of the two groups- and look at the board. There are winding paths to the kings exposed, and a couple pieces taking up the middle. But a veteran player wouldn't expose the kings. I look at the other pieces, the ones that can strike from a distance, and realize neither side can afford to make an open play for the king. So that's where I, the third player, come in. I'll take out the gold and silver generals, and unseen, move for the king.

I set the shogi board on my writing desk, and get up to stretch. There's still a few hours before I have to check in with Lady Tsunade, so I decide to study my water jutsu scroll. For several minutes nothing catches my interest, until I spy one that creates a vortex of water. I smile; maybe I really will create a shark tornado jutsu.

Out at usual secluded training spot I find someone waiting for me. "You're pretty hot today, Hinata!" The watched feeling sharpens, and I see Konohamaru waving. "I finally got that sensory jutsu down!"

"You mean the Fire Release one I told you about the other day?" Konohamaru nods, sweat trickling down his forehead. "That's wonderful!" I smile, and he grins back at me. "Did you sense anyone else coming besides me?"

"Nah, you were the only one. And what about the one you were working on?"

"I've learned it, it works well. I've spent the last few days working on another, though."

"Oh yeah?" I nod and form the Snake hand seal, performing the Flickering Tongue Jutsu. Konohamaru chortles. "Hate to break it to you, but that jutsu looks pretty lame."

"Says the boy who had oatmeal with chocolate syrup and raspberries for breakfast." Konohamaru's eyes widen, and I try not to laugh, barely succeeding. "I'm just trying to have all my senses covered." A short pause. "Well, if you wouldn't mind..." Konohamaru nods and wipes his brow, and departs from the clearing. The jutsu seemed simple enough on paper, only three hand seals. The first time I come close, the volume of water not being a problem, but I sense I need more velocity- like the inner rings of a whirlpool, instead of the outer. The repetition gets me slightly dizzy though, and despite having it at an acceptable place I take a break. Well, that's the water spout portion done, so I work on forming a shark. I can easily do this, but upon trying to launch it as I imagine I would with the completed jutsu, it ripples and becomes a simple jet of water. Stability. A hand seal, to circulate and lend strength to my chakra, and I settle on the Monkey seal. How to bring these two together, though? After several more tries, in which I succeed in stabilizing the shark, I get an idea. The calm sea around a whirlpool, and the vortex at its heart. I have a feeling this will work, but my first few tries fail in the same way that I did with the shark, and I decide Ive done enough for the moment and head to the Mission Room.

Tsunade is there, walking up the stairs to the room. "You're a little wet."

"I, I was practicing a jutsu that creates a shark tornado of water," I say, this time being serious.

"Ha, be serious, Hinata."

"I was..."

"If you say so," Lady Tsunade says with a smirk. She opens the door to the Mission Room and we walk in. Shizune is at the desk sorting through papers when she looks up and steps aside. Taking a seat, Lady Tsunade takes a folder from the bottom of a stack, and opens it. "Shigekuni Yamaha," She says with a finger pointing to a picture of a man. He has a strong jaw heavy eyebrows, and a patch over his left eye. "Long suspected of being a leader of a group of revolutionaries looking to overthrow the daimyo, and in general rough and gruff. He'll be in Tanzaku Quarters to meet with some of his officers, at a house close to the castle." The address is close by under his picture, and I memorize it. "Now, though they didn't specify any particular method, the contractors specifically said they want the scene to be 'memorable'."

"Who sent in the letter?"

"The Akiyama Group, the same people you worked for on your last Tanzaku mission." I nod, and Lady Tsunades continues. "From my own experience with the revolutionaries, there's a certain bar in the Western quarter that Yamaha frequents, and you maybe able to find him there and tail him. Got all that?"

"Yes." I stare at Yamaha's picture, imprinting it deep in my mind. This little game of shogi I'm playing is about to become very interesting...


	11. Chapter 11

I set off before dawn, going full speed to Tanzaku Quarters. I think of the man I was sent for, Shigekuni Yamaha, and why on earth drug smugglers would want a revolutionary trying to overthrow the daimyo dead. Wouldn't they support him, so that they could operate in freedom? But after day breaks, I realize that perhaps this is isn't that simple. I think of my shogi board, and of the pieces lurking at the edges of conflict- this isn't a strike at the king, it's a long distance play at one of the gold generals, so to speak. So, who then would be employing the Akiyama Group. Someone who can't afford to risk their king. There are a handful of people that come to mind, but I put those thoughts aside. I've decided to play for the other side on this mission, and strike at the Akiyama Group. Both hits have to be very close together, though.

For most of the run I meet no people coming from Tanzaku Quarters. But on the second day, as I near the city, there are clumps of citizens and traders leaving, perhaps more than normal. I stop my run and walk over to talk with one trader. "Um, excuse me sir..."

"Eh? What is it, I want to put some distance between me and the city."

"I was coming for a visit, and wondered why so many people were headed out today."

"There's been an outbreak of gang violence the last few days. The Akiyama Group and the Black Dragons have been turning the place inside out looking for some guy." The man nods and flicks the reigns, hurrying off.

Black Dragons? I guess Yamaha is a bigger threat than I thought at first. I keep this new group in mind as I finish my run to Tanzaku Quarters, stopping a minute or so outside. I can't carry out the mission with my natural looks, as they're too recognizable. I take a minute to rest and think of an appropriate disguise to use. I get a chill down my spine as the idea comes to me, and take a drink of water before getting ready. "Transformation Jutsu!" I look down, and see a pale and thin body, clothed with a dirty and torn nightgown. I get up and jog to the quarters, looking around as I pass through the gates. The place looks normal enough. I decide to head to the place my team went to the last time I was here. I try to look lost and afraid as I walk the way over, but really searching for clues. Though at first everything looked in order, I realize that the streets are empty. In a couple minutes I come to the alley, and am spotted by the driver from the last run. He wipes his eyes and then leans in to the building, shouting for someone. Two rough looking men come out, and grab me by the shoulders.

"Where the Hell have you been?" The driver says, spit flying from his mouth.

"The... the Blacks were chasing us, and I got away... I don't know if they got them or not..."

"And when was this?" The man asks, his dark blue eyes sharp and hard.

"Just a few moments ago..." The man sighs angrily, and looks to one of the men holding me.

"If they've got them they'll be at the warehouse post with the others. Take her over there."

"Got it, boss." The men march me away, and I wonder who these others are. More girls that they were smuggling in to a pleasure house? Rival gang members?

"...Just don't hurt me. I want to find my sisters..."

"Keep your mouth shut, unless it's to tell us who cut you loose." I think of doing that for a moment, but I don't know who their "king" is yet and decide against giving my real name.

The grip the men have on my arms is bruising, but I keep calm and do my best to memorize the route. I realize we're close to the bar Lady Tsunade mentioned that Yamaha frequented. I don't know if he'll show himself there, with the quarters being thrown into chaos to find him. After a walk of several minutes we get to the warehouse, a large structure of rusty corrugated metal and wood that looks patched, or hurriedly put together. The Akiyama Group thugs look around before opening the door, then quickly pull me in. My first glance reveals that, thankfully, the inside of the warehouse is uncomplicated. There's a small office building in the corner to the right, and rows of boxes on shelves stretching towards the back wall. I'm taken over to the office building, and the door is thrown open.

Inside are a few men, beaten and tied, and two younger girls, also beaten and tied. They're not from the group that I freed, though. One of the men throws me in, and the other gets out a length of rope from a drawer in the room's lone desk. My hands are bound, and the men leave, slamming the door. None of us say anything to each other, and after a minute I shuffle over to a corner, pretending to cry. I'm actually using my Byakugan, scanning the warehouse. There are some catwalks crisscrossing the air above us, but no one is up there on patrol. I turn back to the men and girls in the room. "I'm going to make a run for it..." I look out the window facing in to the warehouse, and see that it isn't barred like the one to the street. Remembering the location of the men patrolling the floor, I open it and hop out, immediately using the Transformation Jutsu to take the appearance of a squirrel. I hop and bound around to the front of the office building, and take note of the door handle. The one I came in through has an L shaped one, which I think I can manage. I leap up and grab it, swinging my legs over to the side and pushing against the door frame. The door cracks open, and I drop down and squeeze through the gap before it closes. I run a few houses down before I shift the Transformation Jutsu into a woman, fit and with a hardened face. The bar is a block away and around the corner, and I casually stroll over.

I step in, and to my disappointment do not immediately find Yamaha. I order a glass of water, and take a seat in the corner, scanning the room again. To my right I see an old man having a whispered conversation with who I assume to be his son, and do a double take. There, the eyebrows- that's Yamaha. He's not wearing his eye patch, and has on a long fake beard, both the beard and his hair dusted white. This is it. Things have come together quicker than expected. I go up to the bar, and ask for a bottle of sake. "Didn't you just order water?"

"It's to take home, I don't do hard drinks when it's so hot out." The bartender nods and makes the(pricey, I might add) sale, and I walk over to Shigekuni Yamaha and his conspirator. I sit down next to Yamaha, and he stares at me warily.

"I have a wife, you know." A strong, commanding voice.

"I thought of that, sir." I turn to his companion. "Miyazaki Shrine in the forest outside of Konoha, ask for The Rainmaker."

"We weren't told about you," Yamaha's companion said. I see now that it might actually be his son, they have a very similar jawline.

"...It's better that way. Remember the Shrine, and be there in a week. If I'm not there leave a message with the shrine maiden. In spite of what's happening today, I need you to do this for me."

"I'm only an old man and his son, what could a loose woman like yourself want with us?"

"I'm not a loose woman, nor even as old as I appear. Shrine, a week. And be sure to hurry away from here, I have it on very good authority there's going to be an attack on the warehouse."

"That old abandoned thing?" I nod, and stand up.

"Sorry," I say to Yamaha and his son. "Water Style: Heart Exploding Palm!" The torrent of water chakra enters into Yamaha's chest, which swells and bursts open. I dash out of the bar, and shift my Transformation Jutsu into the driver, who I suspect is the leader of the Akiyama Group. It's a quick run back to the warehouse, and I walk in. The two men who brought me over are looking into the office building. "The Dragons got her and the others, and there's a change of plans. We're going to be relocating to their base until Yamaha is found." The men sigh, and I walk over to them, swiftly dealing a strike to their heart points, killing them. I take one of their knives and hurry to free the men and the two girls, stopping to cast the Optic Delusory Jutsu on the front of the warehouse. "Run, and get away from here as fast as you can." Though staring at me, the get up and head out of the door.

There are still a handful of men from the Akiyama Group in the warehouse, but I decide they don't need to leave. I form the three hand seals I need, and blow out a large cloud of black mist, the tide creeping over the shelves. The men shout and cough, and I hear them banging into things as the cloud expands. Eventually the noises stop, and I pick up a stray board in the office building and exit the warehouse, wedging the board against the door. I take a look of the surrounding buildings, and hop on to the nearest one. "Water Style: Black Rain Jutsu!" The drops begin to fall, and I can see one of the girls turning a corner as she runs away. Good, they'll be out of range. I wait a minute for the rain to coat the building, and begin to feel the strain on my chakra from filling it with mist inside and using the rain on this scale. I take out a kunai with an exploding tag attached, and throw it as hard as I can towards the warehouse. I jump off on the far side of the house, and detonate the tag.


	12. Chapter 12

It was only until I was safe in Konoha that I realized that I'm now a rebel arsonist. The thought gave me pause as I changed into my clothes after a shower, but I decided to keep it a secret. Perhaps if no one knew my true name, I would stay safe- I had told Yamaha's son to ask for the Rainmaker and not Hinata Hyuga, hadn't I? But as I walk into my room to sit at my writing desk and look over my shogi board, I remember I also told him I wasn't as old as I appeared. I'll have to be very careful when I get to the shrine, then.

Looking at the board, I remove one of the gold generals, a few pawns, and a knight. With only a little more work, one of the kings will be in danger. I wish I was able to get straight to the king, but in reality, that would still leave the Akiyama Group active, and the Black Dragons I heard mentioned would also still be around. I need answers about them, answers which I'll have to get from Shigekuni Yamaha's son, if he chooses to speak with me. I sigh. This all hinges on me staying an invisible third player, which isn't possible now. Ninja aren't ghosts, they have to go and return from somewhere, and it's possible my somewhere will be found out. After all, since Yamaha was looking to overthrow the daimyo, Lady Tsunade or Shizune will most likely be taking a close look at the incidents and realize who was where when the Akiyama Group's plans were foiled.

I think of backing out of the situation, but I can't do that, either. Funny how explosions have a way of making you permanently involved in things. I stand up, needing some peace right now. I get my gear on and head out to the training grounds; maybe some exercise will clear my head. I make to head to the small clearing deep in the woods once I get there, but he waves to me and I can't help myself, I have to stop to talk.

"Out on a mission again, huh?"

"No, I was just buying some sake for Lady Tsunade."

"That old grandma needs to quit drinking! If she did, she probably wouldn't be so lazy and get all her paperwork done on time and not force everyone to do it for her." With a hmph! Naruto folded his arms, and frowned for a second, though Lady Tsunade's drinking apparently faded quickly from his mind. "So anyways, uh, it's not like I was waiting for you here, but now that you are here, how about training together?"

"Oh... um, yes." Feeling brave, I motion for Naruto to follow me, and soon we come to the clearing. "Bneh- uh, Sage?" My emotions come out as a stumbling burst, but it seems Naruto understood.

"Sure, I was gonna ask about that, anyways." Naruto sits cross-legged on the grass, and I do the same in front of him. "So, the breathing exercises..." I nod and begin them with Naruto. The long, slow breaths followed by quick huffs didn't make sense when I first did them with Naruto, but I realized the secret behind them- that instated of small stillness after you exhaled, before you drew in your next breath. It was intoxicating to be so close to Naruto and breathing in time with him, and though enjoyable this made it difficult to empty my mind and sense my surroundings. The words of the shrine maiden came back to me, and pulled my thoughts back to stillness. If Naruto was doing this properly, then if I was able to sense the natural world around me I could sense him, too.

The time passes by like a soft breeze, and as my mind empties, I begin to feel the gentle calling to my awareness. My instincts tell me this is the natural energy of our surroundings, and instead of peering and poking at it, I further calm myself and let it present itself. As I do, a glow lights in my mind's eye, like a dim watercolor painting. I can sense the trees and shrubs and grass, and, Naruto himself. I open my eyes to smile at him. After a moment he opens his eyes and smiles that big grin of his, and my cheeks flush with heat. "Does this make me a sage now?"

"Nope!" He says, cheerful. "There's still a lot to do, like learning to draw it in and balance it, and I think something about chakra reserves, too." He sees the look on my face, but waves it away. "You're doing great, you actually probably got this down faster than I did. It's kinda hard for me to just sit still for hours a day." He chuckles, and scratches the back of his neck. "Maybe Granny Tsunade will let me take you to Mount Myoboku someday. There are some things I can't teach you about sage mode, and you'd have to learn them straight from the toad sages."

I sigh and nod, then blow out a stream of water at his face. He grins to get me with a water balloon(which I shouldn't have been surprised he had on him), and for a few moments, we let our worries go and just play.


	13. Chapter 13

I hesitate to ask for this, because I've never done it before. The people in the room aren't helping, either.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"I... was wondering if I could I could be given a brief furlough..."

Lady Tsunade's eyebrows jump up. "Oh. That's it? How brief did you have in mind?"

"Just a week..."

She thinks it over for a second, but quickly decides. "Request for furlough approved," She says with a smile. I breathe out, relieved. "A week won't hurt, and besides, you've had almost that long off between missions before. Enjoy the time, Hinata."

"I will. Thank you, Lady Tsunade." I bow, and make my exit from the mission room. I won't really have any of the time to rest, though. Soon I'll have to make a day trip to Miyazaki Shrine, and depending on how things go with that, I may need to make another trip to Tanzaku Quarters. I head home to think, wandering around in my own thoughts.

When I get home, I'm almost to my room when my mother catches up to me in the hall. "Dear," She says, touching my shoulder. "You have a letter." She extends it to me, and I see that it's from Aoba.

"Oh..." I see the look in my mother's eyes and begin to blush. "He was researching something for me; it's part of something I'm working on." My mother gives one of those "I know what this is really about" kind of nods, and turns back down the hall. As I step into my room I remember part of that project, one that my recent trips to Tanzaku Quarters have distracted me from. Perhaps I'll get into testing it on one of the next days off I have.

I sit down at my writing desk, and open the letter.

"Hinata,  
I spent a little time researching ghosts, as you asked me to.  
The answer really should have been quite obvious, especially  
to someone of my talents. You see, though the Daiyagan is  
able to see emotions, those emotions must be generated from a  
physical source- i.e., the chakra coils. And, since ghosts do not  
possess them, it would not be possible to see a ghost with the  
Daiyagan. I hope your search goes well.

Kindest regards,  
-Aoba Yamashiro."

I sigh. He'd said the area around me was clear, hadn't he? I think of the other dojutsu of Konoha, the Sharingan and the Byakugan, and briefly lament their inability to help. Wait- there does happen to be one more... but I've seldom talked to him, and I'm not sure if he would be willing to help. It wouldn't hurt to try, I suppose. Alright. Though everyone in the village knows where he lives, I find the way almost familiar to me, despite having never been there before. Walking past the unused buildings gives me an uneasy feeling, but soon I arrive, and take a breath to prepare.

I knock. There is a silence for a minute, but then footsteps approach from the other side, and the door opens. As I see Sasuke, the watched feeling slams into me, and I almost gasp. "Hey," He says, with a lift of his chin.

"M- may we talk for just a minute...?" Sasuke shrugs, and turns to let me in.

"Naruto too busy to come by?"

"Uh, n- no. This is just for me..." Sasuke makes a somewhat cold and annoyed expression, and I swallow. "You see, Sasuke, I've had this watched feeling following me, and... I was wondering if you might be willing to take a look at me, to see if there's anyone or anything close by..."

Sasuke looks me over, and I shiver. The watched feeling is almost as bad as it is with Naruto right now. "That it?"

"I... meant with your dojutsu..."

"The Sharingan?"

"No, the... other one."

Sasuke narrows his eyes at me. "He told you, didn't he? He was supposed to have kept it a secret."

"He didn't have to tell me. I figured it out on my own, that the Mangekyo Sharingan matures into the Rinnegan when the wielder faces and then is able to accept his or her own death." Sasuke continues to stare at me, but then he closes his eyes and sighs.

"Might as well. But this stays between us, alright?" I nod, and when Sasuke opens his eyes, I see the Rinnegan. They dart over and around me, and then just as suddenly as they appeared, they're gone. "You're clean."

"...Thank you, Sasuke. Have a good day." He shrugs, and I leave his house. On the way back home, my mood lowers. If the Rinnegan itself is unable to detect anything out of the ordinary, then I don't think any dojutsu will be able to. The shrine maiden and learning sage mode are the only options left.

The shrine maiden. Now that I think of it, I should probably visit and explain. I nod, and once home I gather a few nutrient bars for a snack, and make my way to Miyazaki Shrine. The run goes without incident, and a bit into the afternoon I arrive. The sky is gray with rain clouds, but there aren't any drops falling. After a moment I catch my breath and enter the shrine. The maiden is meditating inside, wisps of incense floating above her head like clouds. She doesn't look up, and quietly I make my way over to sit next to her. "What is troubling you today?" She says gently without looking up.

"...A few different things. But... there is a man who may be coming by here in a few days, looking for someone called The Rainmaker. If I am not here when he arrives, could you keep his message to The Rainmaker for me?"

"You picked an odd place for such a meeting."

"It was the first place that came to mind when I was speaking with him." There's a faint pull on the shrine maiden's lips, and I realize that she's smiling. "...Would you be willing to do this for me?"

"I will." The shrine maiden looks up at me, her piercing eyes alive with a happy light. "And, if you are The Rainmaker, would you mind making it rain? I miss the sound of rain on the shrine's roof."

"I'll do it." I smile, and the shrine maiden closes her eyes. I speak to my ancestors silently for a moment, and then leave to head out. I take a second to prepare, and then make the hand seals. "Rainmaker Jutsu!" Very quickly the clouds open store, large drops coming down. I retract my chakra, and find it's still raining, so I jog over to the box and make a small donation before sitting on the steps to have one of my nutrient bars for a snack. As I eat it I think of a good target for the next experiment of mine. I know how I feel around Sasuke, and Naruto, but there are other ninja who might not know me that could work. A name comes to mind, and I almost recoil. That reaction, though, is how I know it's a good choice. I sigh, and start my run back to Konoha.


	14. Chapter 14

I'm not quite sure it had happened, that first time. I focus my chakra and string together the hand seals, the vortex of water growing up around me. With a last hand seal the shark takes shape around the twister, and launches away at the tree. I can see that while the shark holds its shape, the whirlpool inside loses power before it connects. I sigh. I guess it had just been my imagination.

Maybe I need a new way of thinking of this jutsu. In two stages from the inside out hasn't been working- perhaps I could reverse that, and work in one stage. Two is hard enough, especially with completely opposite functions. One flow, branching off- like my veins and arteries. I wipe a wet strand of my hair out of my eyes, and take a deep breath. One flow... the water pops up like a geyser next to me, the outside rippling and twisting for a moment as the inside begins to swirl, and the outer shark freezes in shape. It takes flight, an arc like a heavy arrow, and descends on the tree I targeted. There's a burst of snaps as a branch breaks down, and the trunk sways under the impact. I too sway, weary from the practice of this jutsu. For most of yesterday and all this morning, I've worked on it. But I keep at it- it still has a little ways to go, but I can see from what it did to the tree the damage would be catastrophic against a human target. Given its difficulty without a nearby water source I won't make use of it often, I think, but it will be worth the work.

Though I improve with the speed, the strain on my chakra reserves soon forces me to take a break. The small clearing is littered with puddles of water, and at the side across from me there is a pile of fallen branches and the base of the target tree. It seems this will be all for today. As I gather my breath I remember one of the main reasons I trained so hard with the new jutsu, and frown. I might as well try it out today.

My baby sister Hanabi shoots me a curious and suspicious look as I pass her in the hall on the way to my room. I'm not sure I understand it, as she's read my journal. She probably went through it again while I've been training... maybe someday I'll find out where she hides her stuffed bunny Haruko and take it.

Looking through my closet, I feel tired and simply pick another pair of my usual pants and jacket. That's all he'll see today. Though, now that I'm dressed, I realize that I'll have to find him first. Everybody knows who he is, but I haven't heard of a single person knowing where he lives. At the compound, maybe? He's the one who most seems to defy the rule of ninja not being spirits, but perhaps I'll just be old fashioned and ask a coworker where to find him. The place still gives me the shivers, though. I close my eyes and take a breath, and then get going.

By some massive stroke of luck, or perhaps fate, he's there talking to someone at the front desk when I walk in. He quickly glances at me but continues his conversation. It goes on for a few minutes and some of his coworkers give me bemused looks as they pass by, but I stay calm. I hear him say something like cut his rations in half before he finally turns to me.

It's terrifying, but not because of the watched feeling. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," I gulp. "I think you might be able to..." Ibiki doesn't smile, but I get the feeling he's amused...


	15. Chapter 15

Ibiki puts them into three classes: parrots, snakes, and walls. Surprisingly, he agreed to let me watch from behind the glass on this one, who I think he'd classify as a snake. "Do you know where the shipment was supposed to go?"

"Like I told you already, Mr. Miyagi's Dojo in Tanzaku-"

"I meant the other delivery the coach made." The "snake" Ibiki is questioning shakes his head.

"I'll tell you all you want to know about Nurari's guys, but I ain't gonna betray my own brothers." As Ibiki stares down the man, I realize with a start that this Nurari must be the leader of the Akiyama Group, the man who drove the girls into Tanzaku Quarters.

"We know the Black Dragons. You guys are smart; you play both sides and don't make the obvious moves. Which is why it's puzzling you'd do something so damn obvious in one of your strongest bases. Yamaha wasn't a high priority target for you guys, he drew the attention from the daimyo and kept the heat off your backs. So don't think of it as a betrayal- I just want to understand where the second load was delivered to."

"...Like you said, we play both sides. There's your answer."

"Bullshit. You've never carried a payload that big and we both know it."

"Who knows? Maybe we decided to make a little extra ryo."

"More bullshit. You'd never risk a shipment of a staple product that large being transported with a volatile cargo like what the Akiyama Group drove in." The Snake clenches his jaw. "You know I keep my promises. So tell me about the Akiyama Group's cargo."

"...Six young girls, just starting to develop." Ibiki nods. "...They'd originally supposed to have been taken to the warehouse, but I heard that there had been trouble on the way, and they delivered to the Dojo instead. When we showed up to haul them off they were gone."

"And did the Akiyama Group know what house the girls were going to?"

"Of course." Another dead silence. The Snake shifts in his chair for a second, looking up at the dim lightbulb.

"Where."

"They weren't going to a house," The Snake said eventually. "But as that information was in the hands of us, you're not going to get it from me."

"Well, if you can't tell me where they were going, name a few places in Tanzaku Quarters where they weren't going to end up."

A very well placed question, I think. Though Tanzaku is crawling with inns, most of them are what us ninja call "clean"- nothing weird, everything done, um, above the table; it also lets Ibiki get under this Snake's skin. I think this Snake might end up being overly cautious, and thereby give up a clue. He gives a blank stare at Ibiki, then says with a smirk, "Mr. Miyagi's Dojo and the warehouse."

"What were you doing in Konoha?" The change of direction startles the Snake, who blinks a few times.

"...Like you said, we play both sides..."

"Then who took out Yamaha."

"No idea. I mean yeah, everyone saw them, but they were a total unknown. I'd never seen a person matching their description in my life." Unlike most of the Snake's words, this answer has the cadence and tone of honesty. Hmm... "But... I'd be willing to guess it's the same person who blew the warehouse. It might have been someone taken out of his back pocket and they pulled a crazy stunt like that to cover our tracks." Uh-oh.

"Definitely a 'his'?" There's a brief look that passes over the Snake's face, but he quickly resumes his disgruntled and world-weary expression. "Who. Were the girls. Being taken to."

"I've told you enough-"

"No you haven't." Another staredown. "We know about Mrs. Aono. We know about Takeshi's Club. Neither of them have claimed involvement, and despite their trade, their alibis check out. Why would you need to keep things this far underground if there are multiple targets in one city..."

"Because we have to." The Snake lifts his chin and tilts his head, silently asking for Ibiki to finish him. The small room slowly fills with a drowning silence, and after a few minutes Ibiki sighs and walks out.

"A pretty productive session," He says with a grim smile.

"Really? He hardly said anything."

"The key with Snakes is to make them think you're not getting much out of their answers. You have to read between the lines."

"So do you know who the girls were headed to?"

"Off the top of my head I can't name anyone, but with what he gave us I think we should know soon." He sighs, then looks me in the eye. "Hinata, I understand your concern for them, but first and foremost this is about interrogating a man found spying on our ninja. Understand?"

"Yes..." Ibiki gives me a nod, and we exit the room...


	16. Chapter 16

I couldn't sleep, so I decided to leave well before dawn. I'm not sure of what time he might be at the shrine, anyways. I pack a few taiyaki to go along with my nutrient bars, but as I get everything in my bag I hesitate for a moment. I go back to my room, and sit on my bed. First, I reach out with the Chakra Sensing Technique, feeling out for my family members. My range is able to cover the whole estate now, and I'm beginning to be able to better identify distinct chakra signatures. Each one that I sense now is similar, like a gentle globe of light, meaning that only my family is here in the estate. With that done, I prepare to use my mist, and then blow it out in a thick wall that fills my room before seeping under my door and crawling along the hallway. I sigh, disappointed and frustrated. I focus on the moonlight coming through my window for a second, and calm my breathing. Though not out in the woods as I normally am when I do this, there's a view of the lawn from the window, which I think will be enough. Long and slow, then short and quick... and as the late night silence settles over me, I become still, and feel the natrual energy outside the house like a candle flame warming my spirit. As with my other attempts, my room and the house are empty. I then make use of the Flickering Tongue Jutsu, and complete the search- and find that perhaps I need to clean my room a bit better.

The searching done and uneventful, I quietly leave and head off for the Shrine. I go as fast as I can manage in the dark, using my Byakugan in the stretches of forest where almost no moonlight is coming through the canopy. I keep my focus on finding my way, but as it lightens I begin to think of what I'll ask Yamaha's son, if he shows. Thinking back, that interrogation Ibiki let me look in on was actually very informative, and it leaves me thinking of just one thing: who are the Akiyama Group and the Black Dragons working for? The normal channels for what they're doing are clear of any incriminating evidence, so who would need to hide their involvement?

At last dawn breaks, and I begin to run full speed ahead. Much sooner than I would have thought, I see the stream up ahead through the trees, and I stop at it to get a drink before walking over to the shrine. As always, the forest looks beautiful near the shrine, and at dawn it's like a cloth has been pulled away, unveiling a thoughtfully carved sculpture. A sudden leap in my determination fills me, and I nod to myself as I stop at the shrine box to make a donation before stepping in.

Already, the shrine maiden is before the incense stand, meditating. I kneel down beside her, and begin to ask for some kind of insight or help, throwing myself into the silence of the early morning. After what may have been several minutes or even an hour or so, I can feel the shrine maiden looking at me. There is concern and a piercing understanding in her eyes. "...I still feel watched," I say. "I haven't been able to find anyone around me."

The shrine maiden nods. "The forest whispered of someone approaching a moment ago. You may wish to prepare for their arrival."

"Alright..." I tell the maiden what Yamaha's son looks like, and leave to sit by the koi pond in the rock garden. I try to remember the transformation I took when I met Yamaha and his son, and in a second perform the jutsu. On the surface of the water I look at myself, and on a whim decide to braid my now dark hair and wear it over my shoulder. Once I've done so I hear a horses riding up to the shrine, and settle more comfortably on the stone bench, trying to remain calm. Footsteps, coming around to the rock garden.

"That's her." And that's the voice of Yamaha's son- he decided to come, after all. I wasn't sure how he would trust the promise of someone who murdered his father before his eyes. "Rainmaker?" I don't turn to look, but hold up a hand and wave him forwards. His heavy footfalls draw closer, and he stands in front of the bench on my right. He heaves a sigh. "So. What do you want?"

"There's only one thing I want to know right now," I say, letting my emotions out. "Who hired the Akiyama Group to kidnap the girls?!" Yamaha's son looks at me, and I realize he's surprised I don't already know.

"Taizo."

"Taizo who?"

"Taizo, his second son." It takes a second, but then a bell goes off in the back of my mind. Someone rich enough to employ two large criminal organizations, someone important enough to need his actions buried far below the surface; someone like a daimyo- or one of their sons. "My father wasn't very fond of his family, and in particular the daimyo himself. I agree; the man is about as weak and indecisive as you can get." Yamaha's son moves to sit down on the edge of the bench, and stares at the koi pond, watching the fish swim around. "For father there just weren't any good answers. The daimyo, too weak; his eldest son, uninterested; his youngest son, well, you know what he's like; and he was a traditionalist, too, didn't want his only daughter to rule..."

"And who would you see in the daimyo's place?" I ask.

"...My father, but since that is no longer possible, it would be his daughter. She's young, but she's at least not as idiotic as her brothers and actually interested in her father's duties."

I sigh. "Have you thought about planting an advisor or tutor for her in the court?"

"No, actually. That's a good thought, but I want to finish my father's mission first."

There's a short silence. "I'm sorry. But I had to do what I did..."

Yamaha's son looks over at me. "Who in the Hell are you, anyways?"

"...Someone interested in getting back at Taizo; a freelancer."

He's silent for a few moments before looking back at me. "So why not you? Why don't you place yourself as a tutor to the daimyo's daughter?"

"I can't," I say quickly. "I'm on the move too frequently."

"I'm not sure I believe that- what better job could there be for a rogue like yourself? Surely you could do with staying in one place if it's the daimyo's palaces."

"It would be a very comfortable job, but also a very dangerous one, especially for myself. I have to stay a ghost, a cloud on the wind."

Yamaha's son shrugs, and looks around at the rock garden. "...I've gotten word that Taizo is leaving Tanzaku Quarters to head back to the palaces. If you're going to make a strike at him, that would be the time to do it."

"And what about the Akiyama Group? Will Nurari or any others be going with him?"

"Taizo will probably have some of them along disguised as his body guards." I think for a minute. This is indeed a rare opportunity, but the palace is about a week's travel away from Konoha, and I only have a couple days left on the furlough Lady Tsunade granted me.

"...I'll see what I can do about Nurari in the next couple days, but I won't be able to come to the palace right away."

"But you'll come sometime soon, though?"

"I'll see what I can do. If I can go, I'll make it rain on the palace at noon, and I'll be close by." Yamaha's son nods and stands to go, but suddenly stops and holds out his hand.

"Yusei."

I stare at his hand for a second, and then decide to (metaphorically speaking) throw myself off the edge. "Raiko." I say, giving Yusei a firm handshake.


	17. Chapter 17

I'd very much wanted for today to be one of rest. With the way things have been for the last few weeks, though, I shouldn't have been surprised. After returning from the shrine yesterday I hastily prepared for a run to Tanzaku Quarters, and was supposed to have set out early this morning, while the light was still a blueish gray.

As I come up to the gates, I get the feeling of being watched- not the one I haven't been able to explain, but the more normal one. It seems I'm expected. I don't see anyone until I'm almost out of the village, but then in the corner of my eye I see a large man step out of the shadows. I almost jump; it's Ibiki. There's a very stern and knowing look on his face, and he holds my gaze without saying anything for a minute. "...I know how to put two and two together, Hinata."

"Ibiki, it's not like what you-"

"I'm pretty sure it's exactly like how I think it is. A ninja executing Yamaha with a Water Release taijutsu, one that takes a very high level of precision- perhaps even necessitating the use of a dojutsu- was also the one that took out the warehouse, again making use of a Water Release technique. You did good by using the Transformation jutsu both times, but not good enough to fool someone who knows where to look." Ibiki stares into my eyes, his scars starkly shadowing his face in the early morning light. "I also know how you feel about the girls. Us ninja, even ones who interrogate others for a living, aren't monsters or ghosts. We're human. And I think that's your greatest strength, and weakness: others have let go of their humanity after everything they've seen, but you've held on. And that's a very admirable thing." Ibiki reaches into his long coat and pulls out a scroll, and hands it to me. "I'd recommend not going after Taizo directly, but in there is some information that could make his life Hell, if used the right way." I look at the scroll and then up to Ibiki, who simply nods and walks away without another word.

I stand at the gates for a moment, unsure of what just happened. But if I'm to do this I need to be on the move now, and so I sigh and take off.

I'm not headed straight for the Quarters. After thinking about what Yusei said, it would make sense that if some of the Akiyama Group would be traveling with him disguised as his guards, that Nurari would be one of them; he'd know all the back roads to take and might even make contact with some of his people in the palace. From Tanzaku Quarters to the daimyo's palace there's one main road. The times I've traveled it I've only seen a few smaller roads branching off, most of them heading towards Konoha. The main road of course goes near the palace, but a few miles away it's rejoined by some rural roads. It's the long way to get there, but I think that with what's happened in Tanzaku Quarters, Nurari would direct Taizo's caravan to take the smaller roads to avoid notice. I've decided to head for the first branch off the highway, which is almost a full day's run from Konoha.

During my brief stop for lunch I look at the scroll Ibiki gave me before I left. Inside is a laundry list of things Taizo has had smuggled into the daimyo's palace, as well as the the places those items came from. Beside the list are streaks of colored marker, which I think each represent a group or gang that provided for Taizo's needs. Further into the scroll are names, with brief biographies attached. Some of them are marked out with an X, which I presume means that they're deceased. There's a lot to get to and make use of, but for the moment I'm focused on Nurari. I roll it back up, and continue my run. I begin to plan the ambush, think of where a likely spot a stop for lunch might happen. It probably won't be right off the branch, as not far from there there are some woods where attackers might easily be concealed. I think a little farther past to where the woods thin out again is a likely choice, as it's i the open and by that time it should be in the afternoon. And who should I appear as? I think of becoming Raiko, The Rainmaker, but if she is truly to be a ghost on the wind she can't make the strike. The thought of ghosts makes me smile for a second, and I settle on who's appearance I'll take using the Transformation Jutsu.

With those thoughts in place, I focus on the run and pick up my pace...


	18. Chapter 18

I didn't bother to sleep last night. I spent hours further planning the ambush, and decided to force a stop instead of waiting for one. Nothing violent, though- after all, what better road block is there than a cliff? I've been waiting all morning, scanning the fork in the road with my Byakugan, waiting for Taizo and his company to come by.

As the time passes, I think of what Ibiki said to me: that for someone who knew where to look, it would be easy to see my hand in the recent events in Tanzaku Quarters. I'm not sure of where to go, though. Staying in Konoha would sort of be like hiding a stolen cookie in the cookie jar with the other cookies, and defeat the purpose of hiding it. Perhaps, maybe, Naruto could convince Lady Tsunade that we could go on a training trip to Mount Myoboku. I like this option, as it gets me time with Naruto and it has a purpose besides hiding. Besides that, the only other thing I can think of would be infiltrating the daimyo's court by posing as a tutor for his daughter, which would be like hiding the stolen cookie in a pit of vipers. Hmm... what would she be tutored in? Yusei mentioned that she is more intellectual than her brothers, but that isn't too hard. That wouldn't be an official mission, though.

It's close to the time that I estimated last night- the early afternoon- when I see more than just a lone horse or cart riding towards the fork in the road. I focus my Byakugan, and can make out two carriages, and after a second recognize them. They're the same ones the Akiyama Group took on their trip to Tanzaku Quarters. I get ready to move, and with a sigh of relief see that they are going to take the smaller road leading to me. Quickly I dash out of my hiding place and perform the Optic Delusory genjutsu, projecting the image of a rocky cliff across the road. I walk away from it closer to the fork, and get in place behind a tree. A minute passes with tense silence, and then off in the distance I can hear the pounding of hooves. The carriages come into view, Nurari pointing up ahead, and someone leaning out of the back carriage to look. They come right up to it, pulling to a stop.

"...This just isn't possible! If an earthquake did this we would've felt it earlier..."

The carriage Nurari's driving opens, and Taizo steps out. He's almost a mirror image of his father. "Why don't we stop for a moment before we turn back? We've been going all night, and I need to take a piss and stretch my legs." A few of the others who have come out to look murmur in agreement, and Nurari shrugs.

"Alright. Five minutes, and no more. I've got a bad feeling about this..." After a deep sigh Nurari puts the reigns down beside him, and hops off. After a glance back at Taizo he heads towards my spot, presumably to relieve himself. I check the positions of the others: some have crossed to the other side of the road to do their business, and some are walking around the carriages. Just one has come to the same side of the road, but he went farther down, and there are a couple trees between us. Though it's disgusting, I know this has to be the moment- people are at their most defenseless when relieving themselves. Silently I creep over to Nurari, then in a whirl spin around the tree and hit him with a single strike to his heart point. I might have done more if the circumstances were different, but this is what I get today. I lean him against the tree and close his eyes, before checking to see if anyone is looking. They aren't. I use the Transformation Jutsu to take Nurari's appearance, and undo the Optic Delusory genjutsu.

"I knew it! Ambush, let's get going!" The others scramble for the carriages as they hear me and see the cliff is no longer there, and I see Taizo coming over from the other carriage, and prepare myself for the strike. It's to his conception point: a Gentle Fist hit to the point affects the prostate, which causes a number of problems, up to and including infertility. If I'm not going to be able to kill Taizo, this is the best I can do. I don't worry about being seen, as to the others it would just look like I was pushing him up into the carriage. As I run past the horses around to the other side I cast the Optic Delusory genjutsu again- this time to give the illusion of a clear path and Nurari up on the driver's bench- and punch one of the horses on the flank, startling it into motion. As the carriages head off I don't look back, and open up my hip bag to take out a soldier pill, throwing it into my mouth. I'm going to need to run full speed back to Konoha if I want to make it there on time.


	19. Chapter 19

"You're late."

"Yes..." I dare to look up, and though she doesn't look pleased, I see Lady Tsunade isn't angry, either. Rather, it's a curious look I see. "...I didn't sleep very well last night, and didn't get up at my usual time..."

Lady Tsunade smirks. "Well, you got here while missions were still being assigned, so there's nothng wrong with that."

"Do you have anything for me today, Lady Tsunade?"

"No, but we did get something early this morning that reminded me of you." Lady Tsunade nods and slides a letter across the desk to me. I pick it up and unfold it, and as I read it I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"-In need of a younger woman, calm and  
refined, but also with inner strength, who  
will explain and suggest the listed points  
in this letter. The position would most likely  
be long term, though perhaps it could be  
arranged for her to make a tragic 'exit' from  
young Lady Sorano's life, thus embedding  
her and the list of information in her memories."

"...It's very flattering you would think of me after reading this, Lady Tsunade."

"You're welcome. There are a few other people that might fit the bill, but I want you to let me know how you feel about it in the next couple of days, alright?"

"Yes ma'am." I hand the letter back to Lady Tsunade, then bow and leave the mission room.

It's not until I'm out of the building that I can breathe. I close my eyes and lean against the tower, thinking of what I've gotten myself into. It seems that despite my attempts to keep them apart, these two separate lives I've been living for the past few weeks are being drawn together. The bold and daring Raiko alias and my quieter more natural self can't coexist, and yet they'd be a hair's breadth apart if I took the job; after what I did to Yusei's father and Taizo, Raiko couldn't just disappear. I owe Yusei more than that. After I open my eyes I hear someone walking towards me, and the watched feeling prickles across the back of my neck.

"Hey."

"Um, hello, Sasuke."

"You just get handed a mission?"

"No, not exactly, but... I think I might have to go, whether I want to or not..."

"Hnh. Just remember your ancestors are standing with you..." Sasuke says, as he walks away. I watch him leave and think of what he said, and of my clan members who weren't afraid to fight against their fate. I make my decision, but I'm going to need a day before I'll be able to tell Lady Tsunade.

Later in the afternoon I got restless sitting at home, and decided to train the shark tornado jutsu I'm working on. The first time I don't have my focus, and the vortex doesn't rotate at the right speed. Angry at myself, my second attempt takes shape with more focus, and my third forms much larger than the first two, the column of water more than three times my height before it swirls and bends into shape. The fourth is the same height, but with the fifth I nearly lose myself in my anger and the column of water almost fills the entirety of the small clearing before twisting into form and taking a short leap into the forest. With the loud rustling and snapping and splashing sounds of the tree being destroyed I come back to myself, and stop to catch my breath.

The silence of the forest echoes around me. I feel someone is close by watching, so I call out to them, "It's safe to come over!" A moment later I hear them approach- it's not only one person.

From behind the trees, Ino, Tenten, and my sister Hanabi step out. "Was that you just now?" Tenten asks, stepping around a puddle.

"Yes. I'm sorry you had to come out here to find me..."

"Oh, that's no problem," Ino says with a smile. "Listen, do you think we could talk for a minute?" I nod, and they walk over to stand next me. She shares a look with Tenten and my sister before turning to me. "Hinata, we've... been hearing things..."

"What kinds of things...?"

"Like about how you've been doing almost nothing but learning sensory jutsu, despite having a Byakugan," Tenten says.

"And especially, in the last few days, you've been nervous," Ino says. "It's hard to remember any time you're not calm and quiet." I stare at Hanabi, and she looks down at her feet before answering.

"I didn't tell them any of the personal stuff..." She quietly says.

"Who's bothering you, Hinata? We just want to do what we can to help." Ino and my sister nod in agreement with Tenten, and quite suddenly I'm almost crying.

"I don't know! I haven't been able to find anyone, no matter what I try, and still this watched feeling keeps following me around. I can barely take a bath or shower anymore..."

"When did it start?" Asked Tenten, folding her arms.

"A little over a month ago. I was coming back to Konoha from a mission, and I felt it when I stopped for lunch."

Ino glances at Hanabi before asking, "What about the maiden at Miyazaki Shrine? Has she said anything about who or what it could be?"

"No... but, I want to finish my training with Naruto before I go ask her about it again. If it's a spirit watching me I just want to make sure it isn't anything else first." Ino nods, and takes a deep breath.

"Speaking of guys you hang out with..."

"Hanabi, I thought you said-"

"I didn't, honestly!"

"But, Aoba?" Tenten asks.

"I was only wondering if he could see anything around me..."

"How could he help if your Byakugan didn't find anything?" Tenten asks.

"His clan has a dojutsu, the Daiyagan. It's why they wear sun shades all the time."

"So you like his eyes?" Asks Ino, with the hint of a smile.

"Well... yes... they are nice, but, the Daiyagan can see emotions. I'd thought that even if someone was masking their chakra he could see their emotions- but he didn't find anything."

"Well maybe Aoba just sucks at using his Daiyagan," Tenten suggested.

"No; when I was reading about the Yamashiro clan and the Daiyagan, I found out Aoba made special jonin at around our age because he was so good with it."

"Okay, alright," Ino says, nodding. "But, Ibiki?"

I feel my cheeks start to redden, and I gulp. "I was talking with him about something private."

"What kind of private?" Ino asks with a devilish grin.

I'm sure my face is as red as a tomato. "...Something related to my last couple of missions. It's... personal."

"Isn't he kind of creepy?" Asks Tenten.

"At first, maybe. But he has a good heart." Tenten is grinning now too, and I can see Hanabi trying not to smile. "It- it's not like that! Honestly!"

"If you say so," Ino says.

"Have you told Naruto about him?" Tenten asks slyly.

"Tenten!" Ino playfully scolds. I can only look down at my feet; after our brief talk at the gate a couple days ago I'm starting to like Ibiki- as a friend(stop reading my journal, Hanabi!)- but I couldn't bear to tell them that right now. "But, Hinata, they're both a little- well, a lot- older..."

I take a deep breath. "There are... things that Ibiki and Aoba know, that no one else does-"

"Definitely Ibiki," Tenten says with a smirk.

I continue as if she hadn't spoken. "So I wanted to get the best help I could, to make sure." Tenten and Ino are smiling, and it feels that, in some way, a weight has been lifted off of me. Tenten puts her arm around my shoulders, and we leave the clearing...


	20. Chapter 20

I get up and go as soon as I'm dressed, so I won't have any more time to change my mind. It's early, and I'm one of the first few there. Lady Tsunade catches my eye as I enter the room, but I look away and quietly stand in line. When it's my turn Lady Tsunade clears her throat.

"Well?"

"...About that mission you told showed me the other day, I... decided to accept it."

"Alright. I haven't heard back from the others, so I'll officially assign it to you." Lady Tsunade makes a note on a crowded piece of paper, then looks back up. "Now, though it makes a good deal of sense, there's no guarantee the daimyo himself will approve a new tutor for his daughter. We'll have to write to him suggesting the idea, so it'll be about a week before we hear back. Okay?"

"Okay." Lady Tsunade nods, and I bow and take my leave. Though not happy, per se, I do feel relieved that I have the matter of the assignment out of the way. I decide to visit the library in the Hokage Tower, and quickly make my way over once I'm out of the mission room. Today, the smell of old books and scrolls is comforting, and I head to the section of the library containing the personal jutsu scrolls of the Hokage.

In the color coded system of arrangement here, unmarked scrolls in the jutsu section contain things such as genjutsu, or shuriken jutsu. Stopping in Lord Third's section again, I pick out one of the unmarked scrolls, and sit down at a nearby table to read. This one seems to be a random assortment of jutsu, even a few that require collaboration with another person. One genjutsu that catches my eye simulates the feeling of weightlessness in the target, but though interesting it's not what I'm looking for. Just a few more moments of scanning the scroll later, and there's not a hint of the kind of jutsu I'm looking for- not something that looks or extends out, as most normal sensory jutsu would, but something that goes in. I take the scroll back, and pick out the one next to it- a quick peek reveals shuriken jutsu. Lord Third has more unmarked scrolls(and jutsu scrolls in general) than any of the other Hokage, so going through them will take quite some time, and that's not even counting the elemental jutsu.

I'm on my seventh scroll when I finally see something that makes stop for a minute. It's a jutsu designed to remove curse seals(something I'd imagine Lord Third spent a bit of time contemplating...) that affect the mind and mental functions- for instance, it would remove a curse seal that caused a sharp pain whenever a certain memory surfaced. Like most anything related to sealing jutsu, it's very complex, and even though it isn't quite what I'm looking for I decide to make a copy to study. I only have my sticky notes with me in my hip bag, and it takes several of them to get the everything down. I scan the rest of the scroll, and nothing else catches my interest. But as I'm putting it back on the shelf, I remember something from when I studied the Yamashiro clan. They do in fact have a jutsu that looks inward, one supposedly able to see a person's karmic destination. It fell out of use shortly after being banned, partly due to its extreme level of difficulty and the emotional consequences of it. I sigh. If I'm really going to try everything, this is part of everything. I nod to myself, and walk over to the Yamashiro's alley. I'm not sure if he'll be able to do it, but if any of the Yamashiro alive today could, it would be him.

The alley is empty, save for a stray cat perched on the roof of one of the houses. When I stop at Aoba's door, one a couple over opens. A kunoichi with some pretty neat black sunshades looks over, and waves. "Are you looking for Aoba?" She asks, her voice bright and cheerful.

"Yes..."

"He left just a little bit ago to go get some dango," The kunoichi says, tucking her short brown hair behind her ear, "But he should be back soon."

"O- okay. I'll wait here..." The kunoichi smiles and gives me a wink, and walks off towards the other end of the alley. I lean against the wall next to Aoba's door, trying not to look too suspicious or casual, both of which I'm fairly sure I'm failing at. Several minutes go by, but eventually I hear someone coming up behind me.

"Hinata!" That's him! I turn around, and he's carrying a bag with take-away boxes from the dango shop inside it. I try to speak, but find I can't get what I want to say out of my mouth. Aoba smiles and opens his door, and gestures for me to go in. I do, getting increasingly nervous. "So what's up today?"

"Well..." I gulp, and take a deep breath. The dango smells very good right now, and I remember that I didn't eat breakfast this morning. "Well, I was wondering if- if you would be willing to take another look at me..."

"Did you get my letter?" Aoba says, opening a box of dango and sliding one to me.

"Thanks," I whisper, opening the box. "Yes, I got the letter. But, I was wondering if you would use a certain jutsu instead of just your Daiyagan..."

"What jutsu?" Aoba asks, taking a bite of dango.

I look around for anyone watching, even though we're the only ones in the house. "The Divine Eye."

Aoba almost chokes on his dango, and loudly clears his throat. "Do you even know what you're asking?!"

"...Yes. Aoba, I don't know everything about it, and I'm not asking to know, just... if that if you used it, you would sense anything besides me..."

Aoba takes his glasses off and runs his hand through his hair. "...Have you told anyone else you've thought of trying this?"

"No," I shake my head.

After a long silence, Aoba looks up and speaks. "It's possible that I might sense someone else, but I've only done it once before, and I might not be completely sure of the results..." Aoba sighs heavily, and puts his glasses back on. "I'll think about it. That's my answer right now. And I want you to think about it, too-"

"You wouldn't have to tell me anything besides finding someone else..."

"But I would still know." I suddenly get the chills, and have to look away from Aoba. "Enough of that for now. Let's have some dango..."


	21. Chapter 21

I have a feeling that it's finally going to happen today. I smile at the thought for a second, then look back at the lists in front of me. On the left is the extensive list of drugs, contacts, and opponents related to Taizo. Yesterday I did a bit of research on the drugs, aiming to find which were the more addictive ones. Nearly all of them had awful side effects if regularly used for long periods of time, I was just trying to see which ones got their hooks in the fastest and deepest. One of them, known as "goomba", comes from the giant mushrooms in the ninja village of Kusa. The spores are a fierce hallucinogen, and also deadly- there are a number of other ingredients in goomba, mainly there to keep the spores in balance. Another, known as razorleaf, is listed as inducing a sharp, yet floating and disconnected kind of awareness. It's produced in from a shrub growing deep in the forests of the Land of Fire, and manufactured in several different spots around the country, one of which just so happens to be about a day away from the daimyo's palace. The next nearest one is two days away from here, about the same distance to Tanzaku Quarters, but to the North-West. Looking at my map, the way is easy, with only a few splotches of forest and streams to cross over- a much easier run than to the Quarters. Alright...

And with that decision made, I turn to the other list: Yusei's list of items to tutor the daimyo's daughter, Lady Sorano, in. I've decided to not approach this as turning her from her father- after all, most of the Land of Fire's policies are made by the daimyo's advisors, and not the man himself. And it's not like their policies haven't been working either. Again I try to get inside the mind of Yusei and his father, and see what kind of future they envisioned for the Land of Fire. A strong one. A decisive nation of action. It's a very different nation than the one I live in right now, but perhaps there are some things that need to change.

Then there's the matter of the appearance I'll take at the daimyo's court. It most certainly can't be my natural one, and I also can't take the appearance of Raiko, either. I also don't want to look like the kind of girl that would attract interest from Taizo. Someone young enough that Lady Sorano can relate to her, but not... that young. Beautiful enough to not look out of place in court, but also not too good looking, so that I don't attract any unwanted attention. Something just right... I decide on auburn hair. Uncommon, but not a shade that would stick out like my natural one, or like Sakura's pink hair. I move to in front of my mirror and prepare to use the Transformation Jutsu. As the puff of smoke clears, a delicate and angular face is framed by thick auburn hair falling over my shoulders. Very nice, I think, but the features aren't very well suited to the hair. A second try. This time, the features are stronger, the face more oval than heart shaped. But no, they're too hard, like Raiko's, so they won't do either. Not quite so long, but the same nose... there. On the third try I get something I think will work. With the slightly shorter face the cheekbones stand out a bit more, enough to balance out the nose, and overall it's a softer face. I pull my hair back, then twist it and gather it on top of my head, and then let if fall back down onto my shoulders. Yes. This will do very well.

Satisfied with the transformation, I take a moment to use the Chakra Sensing Technique. My clan members are all around the estate, going about their daily tasks as usual. However, my my baby sister Hanabi's chakra signature isn't among them. I smile, and head off to her room. The door is unlocked, and stepping in, everything looks as normal. I start by checking the most obvious places, and find them empty. Under her bed, not there. In a box in the closet, not there. No suspicious cracks in the floorboards, either, and there wouldn't be enough room in a false bottom in a drawer. I take a minute to look through her dresser, but it's not underneath her clothes.

I then move to the small book shelf on her writing desk. Some of the volumes used to be mine, but I flip through them anyways just to make sure nothing's been sealed into them. My old textbooks are clean. There are a few other slim volumes dealing with the Gentle Fist style and the basics of ninjutsu, but nothing is out of place with them, either. I move a small scroll out of the way to check the last volume, but pause for a second. Not out in the open, but at the same time, out in the open where it could be easily found. The scroll is about the size of my middle finger, and when I unroll it there is a simple seal on it. I undo the seal, and Hanabi's old stuffed bunny Haruko pops out. She's a faded gray and well worn, but still in one piece. I stuff her into my jacket and roll up the scroll, and leave my sister's room.


	22. Chapter 22

It's a very risky thing I did by coming here. It's no guarantee that she was waiting for word from the Daimyo, that there wasn't a short D rank mission Lady Tsunade would have given me. I think of the last time I snuck away to do something similar to this, and the consequences of that explosion. I think of the young girls and the men I set free, and the men of the Akiyama Group that died in the blast. They may have had a mostly illegal and dark occupation, but they were still people. I'm sure some of them had families they were supporting. I'm not sure how large the razorleaf processing factory is, but I'll try to be more careful this time.

With a smoother and more open run, I made very good time yesterday. It's nearing midday, and I'm only a mile or so away from the plant. I discovered that there is a small village near by, I'm guessing the families of the plant workers. The forest is starting to get thick, crowding over the road, and I decide to take a short break. I gulp down my water, and look around the forest as I catch my breath. There's a subtle aliveness to the growth, and I can hear birds conversing up in the canopy. Pulling out my map, I check the location of the plant, and nod to myself. I turn in its direction and activate my Byakugan, extending its reach until I see a cluster of buildings- that must be the village. Further looking out past them, I can see a smaller group of huts, bustling with activity. Getting ready, I used the Transformation Jutsu, taking on the appearance of my Raiko alias.

The rest of the run goes quickly, and I circle around the village, where I saw a few children running around the green. The production compound consists of a log cabin and a few smaller huts, one of which appears to be sort of office, and the others extra storage. I sit on the tree branch, waiting quietly. A few men stop to talk outside the log cabin, and one comes from deep in the forest carrying a sack full of leaves. Another leaves the cabin, and goes to the office hut clutching a clipboard. A few more workers come in from the forest, and the men from the other huts come out to congregate with the others now talking at the front of the cabin. Several more minutes pass by, and then from the office comes a bell ringing. They all walk back towards the village, sharing jokes and slapping each other on the back. Still I wait, until the man leaves the office hut, clipboard not in hand. I wait until they're well past me, and slowly move towards the compound, looking to see if anyone is coming back or is late coming in from the forest.

Now sure that I'm alone here during their lunch hour, I sneak into the office hut. There are a couple file cabinets, and the distinct scent of razorleaf is coming from a recently extinguished cigar on an ash tray. Rifling through the file cabinets, I see that most of the records are from previous years, the folder tabs marked with the dates. I snatch up the clipboard and folders for the last several months, and seal them into the blank scroll I always carry with me in my hip bag. I open the drawers and peeking around the doorway, step out and prepare for a jutsu. My black mist fills the hut, tendrils of it leaking out. Not good. I shut the windows, and head to the other huts. They indeed are for extra storage, with a few clipboards hanging on the walls for listing and checking the inventory. They too are filled with the black mist, and finally, I walk into the log cabin. There are high shelves lined with bricks of dried razorleaf, the sacks of it carried in just now from the forest, and large clumps of it hanging up to dry on the walls. There's a desk at the front, and in its drawers I find another clipboard for checking the inventory. With a last look around, I shut the windows and fill the cabin with my black mist jutsu. I toss in a kunai with an exploding tag, and do the same for the huts. But as I'm retreating back into the forest to activate the exploding tags, someone calls out to me.

"They started the lunch break yet?" The man is slender, and has the short dark hair to match his boyish looks. I can see that he doesn't recognize me as one of the villagers. He shifts the position of the sack he's carrying over his back, and continues to hold my gaze.

"...They started it several minutes ago. I'd suggest hurrying along to join them."

"You don't look like you're from around here," The man says, taking a few steps closer to me. "Who are you? Did one of the guys pick you up from the Quarters?"

"I'm not that kind of woman. Now, hand me your sack, and get to the village."

"Pff, you aren't getting any of our leaf for free, lady. Just let me put this in the cabin and then I'll get going like you want me to." I draw a kunai, and grab hold of the man before he can react, leading him to the cabin. I rip the bag out of his hands and quickly toss it in the cabin, but not so fast he doesn't see the inside. "W- what was that in there?! Please, my daughter is only two, I..."

I pierce the man with my stare. "Count yourself lucky. Few have seen me and lived." I turn and walk away without another word, and once I'm far enough away I trigger the exploding tags. I barely keep my balance, but I keep strolling into the forest, not looking back.


	23. Chapter 23

I returned at night, the full moon staring down at me. Though I've done several in recent weeks, day and night runs at nearly full speed are still the most exhausting thing. This one is no different. The gates are open, the blue-white of the fluorescent light buzzing loudly. The ninja on duty step out from the shadows, blocking my way for a second.

"Is that you again?" Asks one- Genma, I think. I straighten up so he can see my face, and brush my hair out of my eyes. His face softens then, and he gives me a nod. "Welcome back, Miss Hyuga."

"One of these days you'll have to tell us where you've been going," Asks the other man, who looks familiar but I don't quite recognize.

"...It was nowhere exciting this time, I just went out for a run in the forest..."

"Well, there are worse places to go on a mission," Genma says. I can only nod in agreement, and walk into Konoha.

Time seemed to blur from then on, and it was like waking from a deep sleep when I arrived at my clan's estate. I shook myself awake, and as quietly as I could, crept back to my room. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't just collapse on my bed and fall asleep- there were a couple things to do first. One, hide the scroll with the razorleaf plant's records inside; two, think. I certainly have a lot to think about. I turn on the lamp on my writing desk, and sit down. The first thing that comes to mind is the man who came back to the plant during the lunch break; he had seen me as my Raiko alias, and after what happened, isn't likely to forget me. My greatest strength and weakness, hmm. I guess Ibiki can read me better than I'd like to admit. I don't doubt word will spread, and once people realize Raiko was also the one who assassinated Shigekuni Yamaha, I'll have gotten myself into a fine mess indeed. I wonder if Yusei has said anything about being in contact with my Raiko alias...

I rub my eyes, and wonder how I'll manage being three different people at once while(if, I suppose) I'm at the daimyo's palace. It seems like none of them could really be me, and yet at the same time, are. After a second I start, and realize I don't even have a name to use as Lady Sorano's tutor. For a minute I smile and think of using the name Raiko again, but that would be a bit much. Hmm, now that I think of it, Raiko doesn't have a last name... but that's a problem for another time. The tutor... the name should be like her appearance, just right. Not too short or hard, not too long... A softer family name, yes. Starting with an H... Hirawa? Maybe. I get out a sheet of paper and write down a couple other names. Perhaps because of Raiko, I get to thinking of first names that start with an R. Rei, Risa, Rana, Rin... I sigh and close my eyes to rest them for a moment, more R names floating through my head. I write down a few, then rest my eyes again...

When I wake up something is sticking to my face, and there's light coming into the room through the window. The thing on my face turns out to be the list of names, and, in some strange omen, it seems that all but one were crossed out as my hand slipped and I fell asleep. Ruza. Not the prettiest name, but nice enough. I look over to check my clock, and almost jump out of my chair- it's late, and mission assignment time is nearly over! I quickly smooth down my hair and straighten out my clothes, and run off to the mission room.

Thankfully, there are still several people left when I enter the room. I avoid looking towards Lady Tsunade as I walk forwards in the line, but soon I come to the front and have to look up. "G- good morning, Lady Tsunade..."

"Good morning, Hinata." Lady Tsunade says with a smile. "Why are you here?"

"I had thought that perhaps you would assign some mission to me while waiting for a reply from the daimyo's palace."

"Maybe," She answers with a shrug, "But we didn't really get anything particularly suited to you. If you're itching to get out, I could assign you an E or D rank mission if you really want to."

"No, that's okay."

"Alright. But, I should say that the reply came back this morning. Once the Cryptanalysis Department gets done with it, which I'd imagine would be sometime this afternoon, we'll let you know. Okay?"

"Okay..." I bow and leave the mission room, and wipe the sleep out of my eyes as I walk back home.

When I get there, my baby sister Hanabi is standing in front of the door to my room, her arms crossed and expression furious. "Where is she?" Hanabi says, voice low and dangerous. "I could taste her in your room..."

"Hanabi, I'm very tired. Would you please let me in to room so I can take a nap?"

"Tell me where Haruko is, and I will."

"Sealed into a scroll," I say, purposely not saying which one contains the old gray stuffed bunny. "I'll give her back once I wake up, just please let me in..."

"Is she in a scroll you're carrying now?"

Sometimes it's mildly annoying how smart Hanabi is. "...Yes, but there are a couple other things sealed into it, too. Let's go in my room..." Hanabi nods and opens the door to my room. I walk over to my writing desk and take out the scroll from my hip bag, and open it up. When I unseal it the folders I took from the razorleaf plant also pop up, and as quickly as I can I reseal them into the scroll.

"Why did you take her...?" Hanabi asks as she cuddles Haruko, looking angry and sad and incredibly adorable.

"Because you keep reading my journal. Who knows, I might take her again if you keep doing it."

"Maybe if you would just tell me things..."

"Well, I would, but I can't, and you already know why..."

"It doesn't have to be the things about Taizo, or Yusei..." It's hard for me to stay mad at Hanabi, and I give in.

"Okay. I won't kidnap Haruko if you don't read my journal... and I promise not to keep some of the things in there a secret from you."

Hanabi nods. "Haruko says you made the right choice," She tells me, holding the stuffed bunny out as if it was addressing me. "...And, do you really like Aoba and Ibiki?" I walk over to my bed and flop down onto it, closing my eyes.

When I wake up, it's in the late afternoon. My muscles are sore from the run, but I feel more rested, and stretch. As I yawn, the watched feeling lingers over my chest, and I reflexively cover it up. I hurriedly use the Chakra Sensing Technique, but as always, no one is around. I look around my room and see an envelope by the door. I go over to pick it up and sit down at my desk, opening it.

"Hinata, in short, the response from the  
daimyo was a yes. However, as this proposition  
officially came from our village, he decided  
that it would also be useful to give Lady Sorano  
instruction in the life and mindset of ninja,  
citing the recent war as his main reason. There are  
a few scrolls on the history of ninja conflict in the  
Hokage Library that I think would prove valuable  
to this, and I'll have them available for you  
in the morning at the mission room- and please  
keep in mind that the young woman being sent to tutor  
Lady Sorano is a civilian, not a ninja.

-Tsunade"

It's set, then. I fold up the letter and begin to start packing...


	24. Chapter 24

The burning red eyes stab through me, and I can't breathe. Then I wake up, and see my tent around me. I'm on my way to the daimyo's palace... I rub the sleep out of my eyes, and sit up. I remember saying goodbye to my baby sister Hanabi, I remember her asking me if I wanted to say anything to Ibiki or Aoba as she tried to conceal a smile. I did tell her to let Aoba know I was leaving the village on a long-term mission, and even though I don't feel anything romantic for him, it made me nervous. Would he tell her about what I asked him? I hope not. And as for Ibiki, well, I'm not sure I have to tell him anything. He already knows, I'd bet.

Today is overcast and very humid, my sweat clinging to my skin like a blanket. Dry heat, I can deal with, and I suppose I don't mind it being humid either, just as long as I'm not out running like I am today. The countryside is sparse and green, the summer heat not yet scorching the grass to a withered brown.

As noon and afternoon come, I begin to think of just who Ruza will be. It's a common joke amongst our kunoichi to take the name and identity of a young Konoha seamstress, Amane Tatsuyama, as their own if none is specified by Lady Tsunade on an infiltration mission. I smile as I think of Miss Tatsuyama being a secret rebel against the daimyo, tutoring his daughter in the ways of anarchists and treason. It might perhaps be true that Miss Tatsuyama knows many things of ninja, given that she sews a great deal of our uniforms, but I think Ruza needs more than parlor talk- a relative who is a ninja, or a friend who is one, someone who would tell her of the many trials and successes of the life of a ninja, someone who would inspire her to research them on her own. Yes, a relative- a younger sibling, a sister, an over-achiever who wants to earn her family name. That won't be so hard to make up, I think.


	25. Chapter 25

Yesterday, I spent the day and night running. Though stray thoughts occasionally creep in, when I run for long stretches of time my mind becomes calm and ordered, only faintly aware of everything but the path in front of me.

Today as I ran, those thoughts hovering around me were of Naruto. Of he'd have heard of my visits with Aoba and Ibiki, but almost no one knows what I was really talking to them for. I can't imagine him trying to get an explanation from Ibiki... would he be jealous? Would he start to visit my house, only to remember I'm not there? I wonder if he might feel like he was missing a part of himself... After that disastrous talk we had last month he didn't act any different, but he felt different to me; it was like my heart had leapt out of my chest and started walking around, and whenever I wanted to feel alive I began having phantom pains. I even started putting that into a haiku as I was running, something I normally can only do with a great deal of time:

"One body and flow,

You the heart, and I the blood

Beating together."

Well, the syllables fit, but it doesn't have anything to do with nature. I still need to work on my haiku...

Right now, I'm sitting outside my tent with my shogi board. The game has changed drastically since the last time I took a look at it. I'm no longer an invisible third player; I've stepped in as a gold general on the side of Yusei, who is now the king of his side. Taizo's generals are within reach of me, and one move will could mean certain victory or death for either side. But even so, the daimyo's court, figuratively speaking, would be an entire shogi game unto itself. I sigh. What will I- or Raiko, rather- have to say to say to Yusei? It would be no small coincidence for her to arrive at the palace the same day as Ruza. Should Raiko make it clear to Yusei that she's Ruza? I still don't know if Yusei has said anything about Raiko... but she needs to appear active in the royal city at some point to be distinct from Ruza.

I'm not too far from the palace. The anxiety that was strangely absent during the rest of my run is now asserting itself, and all of the things I have to do and people to be seem too far apart to be brought together. Perhaps instead of being the bird about to flap its wings in the storm, I should just be the wind.


	26. Chapter 26

What would Raiko do? I ponder the thought as I look at myself in the mirror, studying my features. They aren't my natural ones, they're the hard and purposeful looks that my Raiko alias possesses. What I need isn't just the Transformation Jutsu, I need to see from her eyes. I sigh and close my eyes, and decide to live in the moment. I look up into the mirror and pull my hair back over my shoulders, and walk out of the restroom.

It's noon, and time to get things going. The palace is a few blocks away, separated from the rest of the city by a wall. Right up against the wall would be too suspicious, so instead I walk around to the alley, behind the tea shop I was just in. This will be the biggest test of my range with the Rainmaker Jutsu so far. I calm myself and work up my chakra, then make the hand seals and raise my arms to the sky. Away over the palace the clouds begin to form, and I already notice the strain on my chakra. I hope Yusei sees this soon, because I won't be able to keep it up for more than a couple minutes. While I'm focusing on the jutsu, I'm once more in awe of how Nagato was able to cover an entire village with it. Perhaps If I didn't have to go _up_ before _out_ I could cover more area- but then it wouldn't really be rain, would it? I begin hearing people stop their errands and murmur about something, and from close by hear a young child shout "Rain!" What are the people in the palace thinking? Though the rain isn't unseasonable, there were only a scattered handful of clouds in sight before I began. As the murmur of the crowd begins to rise I dig down within myself struggling to work together more chakra. I'm surprised and pleased that I can keep up the jutsu on such a scale for this long, but I'm beginning to run low on chakra. I decide to not exhaust myself and end the technique early, so that I'll be able to work up more chakra in case of an emergency.

I lean back against the wall to catch my breath, and as I do so a young couple under an umbrella runs into the alley. The girl sees me and smiles, waving to me. "Did you get here soon after it started?"

"No, I was here before it did," I say truthfully.

"I hope it doesn't spread," The man says. "We were planning on having a picnic today."

"I don't think it's going to ruin your picnic, I can already hear it starting to die down." The man nods and closes the umbrella, hooking the handle into his belt.

"But isn't it wonderful, though?" The girl asks, still smiling. "Maybe it's a good sign, a blessing on our picnic." She says, looking up at her boyfriend. He nervously smiles, and I feel a grin beginning to creep onto my face. The man motions towards the street with his head, and the couple leaves the alley. I relax for a moment, before I remember what I'm here for. Hmm. What if Yusei isn't even in the city? What if he didn't see? I'd have to imagine that even if he missed the shower, he would hear of it… Thoughts of the other things I planned to do while I'm in the royal city float through my mind, but before I can catch hold of one of them I hear someone walk up behind me at the other end of the alley. I turn to look, but it's not Yusei or one of his men- it's a pretty woman with long black hair, carrying her umbrella over her shoulder. Though she seems delicate, I can see a hidden strength in her step, and as she looks up at me, she has the look of someone who doesn't want to be caught on their way somewhere in her eyes. I step in front of her, and fold my arms.

"Where."

The woman sighs and looks down, letting her arm fall behind her heavily. Though she is fast for a civilian, I easily sidestep the strike from the hidden blade and grab her arm, spinning and tossing her into the wall. She brushes her hair out of her eyes, now scowling. "No. There's just no way anybody should have been able to know I was coming for him…"

"Who sent you?"

The woman spits at my feet, artfully coming up just short of them. "Ogata. There was a hit on his plant, and I was sent to get answers." I drill my stare into her, and after a short silence she continues. "It wasn't an assassination- well, planned as one- but then, you probably know how him and his men are." Though I don't immediately put it together, the pieces soon fall into place.

I let the silence stretch out, until the woman stands. "...Tell both of them you ran into The Rainmaker." I move aside, and nod to towards the end of the alley.

"That's it? You aren't going to take me out right here?"

"No. The arrow has already left the bow." A baffled look comes over the woman's face, and she shakes her head and quickly walks away. As she rounds the corner, I hear a group of people enter the alley behind me again. It's a group of men wearing loose clothes with fairly obvious sharp lines sticking out, and among them is Yusei. I lean against the wall of the tea shop, coolly watching him approach.

He comes to a stop a couple yards away, and looks me over for a second. "You're here."

"...You know, I just met a woman Ogata sent to Taizo. You haven't let anyone know we're in contact, have you?"

"I don't have to," Yusei answers. "You've been doing our work for us, tying up loose ends like you have. You're already something of a legend amongst the fences and dealers for the hit on Nurari."

"They never even found the body," Says one of Yusei's men.

Yusei nods in agreement. "Look, I get that you want to remain anonymous, but people are starting to talk. Sooner or later you're going to have to step out of the shadows if you really want to make a difference."

"...I already have. I intercepted that messenger bird you sent to Konoha, Yusei-"

"What?!"

"-And I figured, that since I had the clearance in my schedule, I would come here to do a job that I myself suggested."

The look of shock on Yusei's face expands. "You're really going to do it?"

"Yes. And since I'll be preoccupied with it, I think it's only fair you do a bit of my work for me."

Yusei folds his arms across his chest. "I'm listening."

I take out the scroll Ibiki gave to me, and hand it to Yusei. "My next target was Shinseki's razorleaf outpost about a day away from here. With Ogata's plant gone, that's the next closest place. Burn it to the ground and salt the earth."

"Reasonable enough. What's on this scroll?" I give it a nod, and Yusei rolls it open. His eyes slowly grow wide, and his jack hangs open in disbelief. "...A pretty exhaustive list. You sure you want to let go of this?"

"Right now, I'm a tutor. I will leave the work of the anti-imperialists up to you." Nodding, Yusei rolls up the scroll and tucks it into his top. "And speaking of being a tutor, I will leave on my own terms, at a time of my choosing."

"You _have_ to stay long enough to make an impression. Teens like Sorano are at a place in their lives where they need role models, and an opportunity like we have now can't be wasted."

I consider the irony and truth of that for a minute before answering. "I understand. I'm just saying, if Taizo begins to suspect me, I'm out."

"How would he begin to suspect you?" Asks the same friend of Yusei's who'd spoken up earlier. "You're not going to tutor Sorano as yourself, are you?"

"Of course not. Though he has many faults, Taizo isn't stupid. He knows how to cover his tracks, and he knows how to follow the rabbit trails to get game."

"If you're going to be in the palace under a separate identity, what could there be for him to pick up on?"

"...Quite a bit." Yusei searches through my eyes for a moment, then clears his throat.

"So, would you be willing to trade messenger birds to discuss business? Say, in about a week or so?"

"No, I only talk face to face. I'll... see what I can do to be free in a week."

"You'll make it rain again?" I nod. "Alright." Yusei offers his hand, and I give him a brief handshake. He signals to his men, and they walk back down the alley. Checking to make sure the way is clear after they're gone, I shift my Transformation Jutsu to take the appearance of Ruza. My hip bag is now free of incriminating evidence thanks to Yusei taking the scroll that Ibiki had given me, and I'm free to make my way to the palace.

The streets are filled with people still there from watching the brief shower, and I quietly thread my way through them. As I near the palace wall my anxiety returns, a different type than before my meeting with Yusei. Being from a recognized clan within Konoha, I'm used to formality, but nothing like what I'll have to endure as Ruza. I imagine it's like being trapped, a marionette and a puppeteer at the same time. As the crowd thins out I can see the guards standing at the open gate, their uniforms looking a bit more like a tapestry than functional attire. A few people are going in before me, and are quickly waved through. Servants, or friends of the daimyo and his family? I finally come before them, and the taller one stares at me expectantly. "Papers?" I take the small scroll out from my hip bag, and hand it to him. The guard raises an eyebrow and snickers as he reads it, and motions the other guard over. Though he looks stern, there's the hint of a smile on his lips.

"...But that _is_ her signature, if I remember correctly."

"What is it?"

"You're going to try tutoring Lady Sorano?" Asks the tall guard. I nod, and he chortles. "Good luck with that." He motions for me to go through, and I begin to get a sinking feeling in my stomach. As I walk the winding path towards the palace I wonder how Lady Sorano will be. Yusei mentioned that she was intelligent, didn't he?

Close to the nearest building of the palace, a row of bonsai line both sides of the path. There's another pair of guards standing watch, but they say nothing as I step up to the door and ring the bell. Very quickly the door slides open, and I'm ushered in by an older gentleman, dressed sharply in a traditional kimono. He has a very humble and sincere look to him, and right away I resolve to get on his good side. People with looks and a position such as his are invaluable allies in any royal court- or at least, they are in the novels I've read. "Greetings, young miss," He says with a bow.

"Good day to you, sir. I, uh, was selected to be a tutor to Lady Sorano," I say, offering the scroll of recommendation to him, "And I thought to perhaps introduce myself, should she be available."

"Ah, so you're the tutor?"

"Y- yes."

"Lady Sorano was quite creative this time, saying she will summon the ghosts of her previous tutors to assemble and bind you to a stake, whereupon you should be burned."

"How lovely."

"Give her time, you're the first in many months. I'm sure she'll warm to you."

"It's not much use speaking with someone who has already decided to be angry…"

"Ah, very true. Ahem. At the moment, to the best of my knowledge, the young Lady is unoccupied, and has retired to her room. Follow me." I follow the doorman through the building, taking the small and empty servant's passages; I think I catch the smell of food being prepared near one room, but we are soon past it. Even this, one of the smaller buildings in the palace, is large, and it takes a while to navigate through it. As we do so, I try to remember as many of the hallways and turns as I can.

Quite abruptly, we're out of the building, and headed towards the main building. The lawn is immaculately kept, like a painting brought to life. The doorman catches my eye, and smiles. "The palace is lovely."

"Indeed, the gardeners do their work well. And the sudden shower has lent a beautiful sparkle to the lawn and trees." Too soon we come to the main building, and step inside. "The way is short from here." We take a winding staircase, and come to another servant's hall. This one is lively, and I can hear giggles and conversations as we walk along it, the maids happily greeting the doorman when we pass. They eye me with a casual interest, but say nothing. We pass through a set of double doors and into a spacious hallway, soon turning down a smaller one. "Her quarters are at the end of the hall," The doorman explains. At this point I half expect Lady Sorano to be some demonic humanoid with horns and leathery wings, wearing armor made from the charred bones of her past tutors. We arrive at her rooms, and the doorman takes a moment to clear his throat before knocking. "Most Lovely and Intelligent, Courteous and Kind, Magnificently Youthful and Bashfully Aloof, Lyrical Lady Sorano, you have a visitor-"

"No, finish it!"

"...Bashfully Aloof, Lyrical Lady Sorano, Marvellously Opulent and Touchingly Heroic, Exceptionally Ravishing, Fine, Undeniably Cool and Keen, Elegant and Refined Royal Highness, you have a guest."

"Better. Let them in." The doorman slides open the door, and gives me an apologetic look before bowing and making his exit.

When Yusei said Lady Sorano was young, I'd thought he meant her to be twelve or perhaps thirteen, but she looks to be at most a year or so younger than me. She has her mother's dark hair, and nose and ears, and is dressed in what I assume she thinks is a very casual yukata(that likely cost a fortune). Her eyebrows are trimmed short, and she's wearing a bit of blush. I give a polite(but probably not deep enough for her) bow, and say hello.

"And you are…?"

I take a deep breath before beginning. "I am the Friendly, Understated, Calm and Knowledgeable, Youthful and Observant, Unbelievably Radiant and Enlightened, Ingenious and Gracious, Honest and Terrifically Excellent, Ethereal and Nuanced, Genial and Even, Noticeably Efficient, Rational and Astute, Tenderly Illuminated, Objectively Neat and Sensitive Ruza Hirawa. I am to be your new tutor."

Unexpectedly, Lady Sorano breaks into a grin. "I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


	27. Chapter 27

All the stories are true. I'm finding that out now as I'm going over The points of Yusei and his father's economic agenda, and some basic points of economics.

"But what if there's no supply?"

"Well, perhaps, that would lead to invention, which might then provide a supply."

"What would the price be like then?"

"I'd imagine that it would be very high, and the inventor would be able to name nearly any price for it."

"But what about the sustainability of the price?"

Hmm. "Well… I think that would depend on the demand. With the high demand after invention, you would be able to sustain a very high price, but as demand falls you wouldn't be able to…"

"It's kind of a vicious cycle, huh?"

"It doesn't seem that way, Lady Sorano."

"Yes, with higher revenue you have a higher dependence, and with falling demand you would have a falling supply of revenue, right?"

"...Um, yes, but that's an entirely different lesson." It's exhausting trying to keep up with Lady Sorano. Yes, she is smart, but her mind flies in multiple directions at once, not all of which are pointed at the lesson.

"Are there any products that nearly always have a sustainable cycle?" She asks, holding her chin as she looks up at the ceiling. "I mean, besides the basics like food and clothing."

A few potential answers pop up into my head, but I hesitate to mention them. "...Recreational drugs might be one. You might not bring too many people into the cycle, but the ones you do can stay in sometimes for life."

A wicked grin comes onto Lady Sorano's face. "But, how would you discover the supply and the demand?"

"Some are discovered by accident, and some drugs through research. Um, from what I know of them." I hastily add. But even that isn't enough to fool Lady Sorano.

"'Um', huh?" She asks still grinning. "What are some drugs you know of?"

Nowhere to go but down, so I might as well tell her the truth. "...One that I've been around is razorleaf…"

"Razorleaf?"

"It comes from a shrub that grows in the darker and quieter parts of forests. The chemicals in its leaves are supposed to encourage animals to eat the plant, and thereby spread the seeds, but when you put all of that into a cigar, it's highly possible to get addicted."

"Then the withdrawals kick in, and you've got them in the cycle," Lady Sorano says, nodding. "So do you know of any dealers?"

"Of course not! I always hated the smell of razorleaf smoke and never bothered to find out where my uncles got their cigars from."

"I'm just wondering how you'd manage the supply and demand. I mean, someone like you obviously isn't going to know what drug dealing is like on the streets."

"Lady Sorano, are you implying that you'd like to get into the profession?"

She gives a derisive snort before answering. "No. What I want to find out is how addiction ties into supply and demand. If the consumers are addicted, then demand would always remain about constant, or go up, right? And since razorleaf or whatever drug could only come from one specific plant, how would you manage your supply?"

"Price- did you not hear the beginning of the lesson?"

"But what if your consumers would pay any price, what would you do then?"

"Then you could demand everything they own, I suppose."

"And not just money?"

"Theoretically, yes." A light goes off in my mind. How long has Taizo been a dealer?

Lady Sorano goes deep into thought, holding her chin. "So, would you say that addiction is a viable economic tool?"

"For drug dealers, yes, but not for a daimyo. Addiction in addition to taxation might lead to a revolt."

"Hmm… well, let's say I'm that evil daimyo who has a nation of dependent subjects, and tax them up the wazoo. How would I manage supply and demand then?"

I think I'm starting to get a headache. We're so far off the basic subject it's getting ridiculous. "...I think you'd have to balance the two. Both are an almost even cycle, right? Disrupting the balance between the addiction and taxation would also upset the balance between supply and demand."

"So, how would you get someone addicted to the basics and necessities?"

I massage my temples for a second. It's difficult to get Lady Sorano back on topic once she heads off- which is frequently- so I'm going to have to try to answer this. "Supply and price, but there'd also be some psychology involved, which is most definitely beyond the scope of this lesson."

"Ah, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, right?"

"Yes…"

"But you can't have an addiction without withdrawals or some kind of absence, right? So wouldn't it be more like leasing the necessities instead of taxation or meeting their demands?"

"I… suppose it would be."

"So what are prices for leases like?"

"Generally they're less than buying something. It's… like temporarily renting."

"Would adjusting taxes to account for leasing basics and necessities work?"

"Almost everything works on paper, but there isn't any nation I've ever read or heard of that's used the system you seem to be building." The vision of the Land of Fire Lady Sorano has in mind right now is bizarre and alien to me, not to mention miles away from the one Yusei wants me to introduce to her.

But she keeps going. "How would you introduce this kind of an addiction where there isn't one?"

"The same way you would with drugs; there needs to be some kind of desire for more, or a change," I say with a sigh.

"Do you think our citizens are happy?" Lady Sorano asks. The question isn't sharp, and it's startling.

"That's a question to ask your citizens, not me, Lady Sorano."

Lady Sorano nods, then stretches her arms in front of her. "Well, that was fun. What's tomorrow's lesson?"

"Tomorrow I was hoping to start on ninja and their history."

"What do ninja have to do with economics?" I close my eyes, and silently ask myself what I did to deserve this...


	28. Chapter 28

"Today, we'll begin by looking at the founders of Konoha, and how they directly and indirectly shaped history-"

"Were they actual people?" Lady Sorano interrupts. I blink, not quite sure of what she meant.

"...Yes, they were very real, and-"

"Then tell me about real people, and not a bunch of dead guys and dates and treaties."

I sigh. "Alright. The two founders of Konoha, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, grew up during the warring states period. It's important to understand that their clans had been extremely bitter enemies for generations, but Hashirama and Madara met before they knew each other's family names, and-"

"And they became friends, right?"

"Yes, very good friends, but even so, they battled on many occasions."

"So who won the most?"

"Hashirama, who was known as the God of Shinobi for a very good reason. Madara was only second to Hashirama, though."

"Hnh. So which of them became the first Hokage?"

"It was Hashirama who became the Hokage, but I've heard that he wanted Madara to lead, instead of taking the job himself."

"And the Senju and Uchiha were still enemies, right?"

"Yes, they remained hostile towards each other for many years."

"Hmm. Are their clans still around today?"

"...Very few of either are left, only two Uchiha and one Senju, that I know of."

"Have they battled over Konoha since it was founded?"

Oh boy. Where do I start there? "...At a few different points, a few Uchiha men have made attempts to take control, but they failed. However, I should say that's grossly oversimplified, and those attempts will be covered in future lessons."

"Huh. Everybody must hate the Uchiha's guts, right?"

"...Yes, and no… you see, though the Uchiha wanted to regain their glory as a clan, many of them grew used to and in some cases became quite happy with how Konoha was... but that all changed with the massacre."

"Ooh, massacre. What's the story there?"

I ignore the glee in Lady Sorano's voice, and try to explain what happened. "...It had been decided that, due to lingering resentment and the dangers the Uchiha presented in battle, that it would be better for Konoha's safety if the Uchiha were to disappear."

"And that was the work of a Senju, wasn't it?"

"No, the massacre was only about a decade ago, and most of the Senju were gone by that point. I've heard a man named Danzo Shimura was the person mostly responsible for it."

"But, who actually went out and got their hands dirty?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Wait, what? He went out and killed his own clan members?!"

"Itachi was a very brave and complicated man; he was made to believe he was doing it to protect Konoha."

"That's just sick. Well, Uchiha and Senju found the village, fast forwards and the massacre happens, and that brings us to the present. Who are the ninja I should know today?"

"W- we just started the lesson, there's still a lot more ground to cover…"

"I told you, I don't want to learn about dead guys and treaties and all that crap. I want to learn about people."

"But, I just told you about two very dead men a second ago."

"W- ...true, I guess, but they're the only two I'll allow, since they founded the village. Who should I know today?"

"...Lady Tsunade Senju, the granddaughter of Hashirama. If by some dark stroke of fate you become daimyo in the next few years, she's someone you'd want to become very familiar with."

"So what's she like?"

I take a moment to think, wondering just how much I should reveal here. "She's very smart, and very dedicated to Konoha-"

"What kind of smart? Street, book…?"

"A bit of both, though her main genius lies in medicine. However, I guess… I should mention, she has a slight problem with gambling…"

"Like my brother Taizo's slight problem with partying?"

"A- a bit like that, yes." I gulp, and continue. "It would also be helpful to know Lady Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, as the two are very close, and seldom apart from each other." Lady Sorano raises her eyebrows, and I keep going. "She's very, very sharp, and similarly gifted in medicine. From what I've heard, she's also a bit more level-headed than Lady Tsunade, and I've also heard that she does a good deal of Lady Tsunade's paperwork, as well."

"Alright. Who else is there?"

There are so, so many people I want to tell her about, but Ruza wouldn't be familiar with all the clans in Konoha like I would. "...One person would be Naruto Uzumaki, who many ninja and villagers consider a hero."

"Uzumaki? I think I've heard that name before."

"He was a prodigious troublemaker in his younger days, but he was really just motivated by a lack of positive attention, I think. As a ninja he is fierce and rash, but also very loyal. You could write volumes of everything he's done and been through, but he's never let it get to his head; he's done everything he does for his friends and for Konoha. It's a dream of his to be the next Hokage…"

"Do you think he'd make a good one?"

"No. I'd trust him with my life, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think he has all the skills he needs to be Hokage. Well, right now, at least."

"But people will follow a hero regardless of his political skills," Lady Sorano begins. "I mean, it's fairly obvious you like him, so a lot of the other villagers do too, right? He can't be that bad."

"No, he's not. I should say that he's much smarter than people give him credit for, but it's nearly impossible to imagine him handling the paperwork or diplomatic duties without my brain hurting."

"So, you know him personally, right? What's he like?" I feel myself start to blush, and Lady Sorano cackles. "How did you two meet?"

"As children. We… both had troubling childhoods. Naruto because of his pranks and the Nine-Tailed Fox, and me because my family is... strict. He…" I catch myself before everything tumbles out and I give myself away. Lady Sorano doesn't push me for more, and she grins.

"I'm gonna have to meet him someday. You talk about him like he's an actual person, not like you're reciting text you memorized. And if he's the village favorite to be the next Hokage, then that means either me or my brothers will be dealing with him a lot, won't we?"

"...Yes, that makes sense."

"Then book it, Ruza. Maybe he could help you with my lessons… in addition to other things when you're not tutoring me."

My blush heats up my face, and Lady Sorano laughs loudly and triumphantly...


	29. Chapter 29

"You look sweaty."

"Yes, it's very hot and humid outside right now, Lady Sorano."

"I know! Where do you stay, anyways?"

"I was very graciously given a room in the servant's quarters."

"Why don't you take my guest room? It hardly ever gets used."

"Th- that's a very generous offer, Lady Sorano."

"Yes, it is, isn't it? I'll get my servants started on it after the lesson." I nod, and take the lesson folder out of my bag, setting it on the table. "What's today's lesson about, anyways?"

I hesitate, knowing that Lady Sorano isn't keen on learning about "dead guys and treaties". "...Today, I was going to explain some treaties signed by the Hokage, and your ancestors-"

"You can skip the bits about my ancestors, I already know way more about them than I ever wanted to." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she asks, "And why do I need to learn about treaties ninja signed, too?"

"They're important because ninja are an important part of the royal family's income, and things that limit what ninja can do might also affect foreign policy."

"Our income? You never told me that!"

"I was attempting to do it yesterday, but you never let me get started."

"Well, just stick to the parts about income today, alright?"

"Alright. Like nearly every other organization, the hidden village is taxed, too. But whereas the bulk of businesses in the Land of Fire away from the ports are rural and spread out, Konoha is a strong point of reliable income."

"But what do ninja do? I mean, besides sneaking around everywhere."

"Many things. They can act as bodyguards, or escorts, or even rescue a cat belonging to the daimyo's wife. Besides a wide variety of menial jobs, they also undertake missions important to national security."

"So how much does the hidden village get taxed?"

"There's a low flat tax on the quarterly income, in addition to higher taxes on certain types of missions."

"Such as…?"

"...Assassinations, mainly."

"So, your village runs on the things like rescuing cats, while my family gets the juicier parts? Why don't we get more, or less?"

"You don't get more because your ancestors knew the value of having a well-funded group of ninja; you don't get less because the first Hokage was a very generous man."

"Let's say I wanted more for my family. What do think the ninja would be willing to give?"

"...Not that I'm suggesting anything, but you could comfortably increase the hidden village's flat tax by a few percent without too many people complaining."

"And what do well-funded ninja do?" Lady Sorano asks, resting her chin in her hand.

"Anything. They can purchase better equipment, train more effectively…"

"_Anything?_" Lady Sorano has that look in her eye again, that one where you can almost see the wheels of an evil plot turning in her mind.

"Yes, anything." Lady Sorano looks off into the distance.

"...What can't ninja do?"

"Several things, on paper; but in practice, a fully trained ninja can do anything."

"I'm not talking about running and fighting, what are the technical restrictions on what ninja can't do? Like, politically."

"Well… direct action against your family and the other daimyo is one of the very few things they can't do. There are also a few things related to a number of border treaties and ceasefires, but mainly treason is the only thing off-limits."

"Why is the flat tax low if ninja can do almost literally anything you need them to?"

"It's precisely because they're so valuable that they're given the latitude that they are. L- Lady Sorano, I should mention that the main conflicts of ninja have nearly always been struggles between the hidden villages."

"Wasn't there some war recently?"

"Yes, there was."

"And who won?"

"Nobody…" Lady Sorano was fond of heroes, but she needed to know the truth here.

"So ninja are like invisible players in a game of shogi, then? They can win and lose battles, but no one sees them winning?"

I pull the comment out of my heart, and try to answer. "That's a very good analogy, Lady Sorano."

"Of course; I've not lost a shogi match in quite some time, after all."

"You play?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You didn't seem like the shogi playing kind of smart, Ruza."

"Well, I've done a bit of playing, myself. Perhaps we could have a match later this evening?"

"Yes, that would be delightful!" Lady Sorano clapped and rubbed her hands, and I open the folder on the table...


	30. Chapter 30

I've not sensed anyone around me. The ever present watched feeling hangs about me, having followed me from Konoha. At first I'd thought to take up the same spot as last time, but these meetings with Yusei can't afford to be predictable. This one I'm at now is closer to the palace, a shaded alley behind a row of jewelry shops, the other side against a string of weavers and seamstresses. Being closer to the palace, I think I'll have a go at stretching the Rainmaker Jutsu past the palace wall. Perhaps, having been around Yusei several times now, I'll be able to sense him before he finds me.

Making the hand seals, I raise my hands and begin the jutsu. I really pour myself into it, working up as much chakra as I can, and after a few moments I can see the rain clouds forming in my narrow slice of the sky. The downpour starts with a pitter-patter, slowly building up. I think my reserves have increased, just a little. Even so, at such a large scale the Rainmaker Jutsu is a heavy strain on my chakra. I feel the people of the royal city scurrying to avoid the rain, and a handful of people stopping and starting at odd points. Would that be Yusei and his men, looking through the alleys? I struggle to maintain the jutsu for as long as I can, but again, it's only a couple minutes before I have to stop. I let go of the jutsu, and as I lean against the wall to rest, I hear the last voice I want to hear right now.

"Into the alley!" And running towards me, I see that it is indeed Lady Sorano, along with one of her servants, and tall and slender woman with dark hair. Even worse, Lady Sorano hurries over. "You don't even have an umbrella, do you?"

"No. I don't mind a little rain."

"How? You've only got some pants and a tank top on."

I sigh, and massage my temples for a second. "Umbrellas are more skin to be seen with, young lady. I'm not a little flower like you are."

"You don't need to get defensive. Umbrellas can look as drab functional as you want them to."

"True. Sorry to be so short with you miss, but you need to leave this alley, right now."

"Not while it's raining, I'm not!"

"It won't be raining again today."

"And how can you be so sure of that? Weather is impossible to predict." Working up a bit of my remaining chakra, I form the hand seals and spit a small stream of water directly into Lady Sorano's face.

"Leave. Now."

"H- how dare you! Do you know who I am?!"

"Yes, Sorano. I know you and your family very well. The men I'm going to be meeting with know your family better than I do, and have even less patience for a smartass like you." That felt really good to say, despite it not being the best.

"I ought to have you arrested for such insolence!"

"You need to learn to distinguish between insolence and truth, Sorano. Royalty isn't a free pass to the world! Actually, it isn't a free pass to anything; you're just a prisoner with a title."

"What?"

"Ask your father. Miss, please drag her away." Lady Sorano's servant moves closer, but in a protective manner and not to pull her charge off.

"No, you tell me. What do you mean, 'I'm a prisoner'?"

"Why do you think your brother Sho has no interest in succeeding your father? He's a simple man, Sorano- much like your father- and while I cannot endorse him as a daimyo, you could learn a lot from him."

"You can't just insult my family like this, you don't even know us-"

"I know you better than you think. You and your brother Taizo see it as just a bothersome game, and-"

"Taizo too, now? Who in the Hell do you think you are?!"

"Your brother Taizo is a piece of shit. He isn't the man you think he is." Lady Sorano darts forwards and moves to slap me. I take the surprisingly hard blow, not blinking or moving an inch. "If you don't want to believe that about Taizo, I don't blame you; I'd hate to think one of my family members was such a-"

"Taizo isn't a monster…!" Lady Sorano says, breathing heavily.

"Ask him about Nurari and the Rainmaker." I turn and start to walk away, but I'm stopped in my tracks. This is like a nightmare that keeps getting worse- there, at the other end of the alley, Yusei and his men are coming up. I frantically think of what to do, and in a split-second decide to wave him over. I can see his eyes go wide as he recognizes Lady Sorano, but he still approaches.

"Raiko?! What is this?!"

"I was about to ask her the same thing," Lady Sorano agrees.

"Yusei, meet Sorano. Sorano, meet Yusei."

"Why are you introducing me to some commoner?" Lady Sorano asks, looking Yusei over.

"Because commoners, as you call them, do more for the Land of Fire than you ever will."

"What do you mean?" Lady Sorano asks, shifting uncomfortably.

One of Yusei's friends, the shorter and muscular one who spoke up last time, speaks up again. "We're the ones who plows the fields and drive the oxen and make your clothes. You don't have any wealth or glory without us."

"A body is no good without a head," Lady Sorano retorts. "And who are you?" She asks Yusei.

"The head," Yusei says with a formidable and impressive glare. "I'm going to be very blunt here, Lady Sorano- your father is a weak daimyo. His advisers are corrupt, and the Land of Fire needs leaders who have a backbone, and integrity."

"My father isn't weak. He's a generous man, and he values differing opinions"

"That may be how you see it, but that definitely isn't how everyone else does." Yusei and Lady Sorano stare for a moment, and I clear my throat.

"Shinseki's outpost?"

"Taken care of. We actually salted the earth, too."

"Thank you. I trust you to make good use of the list, but I want to mention Toriko Yotsuki. With Nurari out of the picture I want him gone next. Two of his plants are down, and he's going to be scrambling to shore up the next one before the hit he thinks is coming."

"Yotsuki won't be that easy," Yusei reminds me. "He's not as hands on as Nurari was."

"True. But perhaps you might make it known that a certain someone has the recent shipment records that vanished from Ogata's plant. His grunts might be more willing to talk then."

"You?" Lady Sorano asks. "You're some terrorist attacking some trader who's just doing business?" Lady Sorano asks me, rubbing her eyes. "You say Taizo is a monster while you're doing that?! And who is Nurari, anyways?"

I turn towards Lady Sorano and stare deep into her eyes. "A man who called innocent young girls he had kidnapped 'basic, run-of-the-mill product'. He deserved what he got, Sorano."

"So he's a slaver, that's not the worst. Not all slaves are treated like dirt."

"Those girls weren't going to be slaves." It takes her a moment, but once she understands Lady Sorano recoils.

"And what would my brother know about him?" Lady Sorano asks. "No, forget that. Who are _you_? People who know what you know don't just come from nowhere. That Yusei guy said your name was Raiko, right? What is your family name?"

"I have no true name-"

"Hold her for me so I can slap it out of her," Lady Sorano says to Yusei and his men. Somehow, my luck gets even worse, as I feel them actually do so. Lady Sorano slaps me again, harder than the last time. So many emotions are going through me right now: joy that Lady Sorano isn't just an inhuman smart aleck, and that she's beginning to question how the Land of Fire is run; guilt for the things I've said, fear at how things will be for Raiko… "Start talking."

"...I'll tell you my last name on one condition."

"What?"

"You get Taizo to publicly reveal _all_ of his activities in Tanzaku Quarters."

"Pointless, as everyone knows he likes to party. Your name?"

At this point I have too many things to think through at the same time to think of a name, so on the spur of the moment I take an immense, titanic risk. I close my eyes and slightly alter the Transformation Jutsu, and then open them. "There. Does that answer your question?"

"What. N- no, that shouldn't be- but, but she said… how…" I shut my eyes and revert to Raiko's "natural" dark irises.

"Yusei, you know how to find me. I've got a couple things to take care of here in the city."

"Alright. And farther away, next time."

"Of course." Yusei lets go, and I immediately use the Body Flicker Technique, leaving the scene in a swirl of leaves.


	31. Chapter 31

There's a knock on my door. This is what I feared when Lady Sorano offered me her guest room: a late-night visit when I wasn't using the Transformation Jutsu. "Just a moment…" I say sleepily, calming myself and using the Transformation Jutsu. I hurriedly turn on my lamp and check my appearance in my hand mirror. There, Ruza's features are in place. "Okay, come in…"

The door opens and Lady Sorano rushes over, throwing herself down beside me. For a long moment she's silent, wiggling in close and putting her arms around me. "...It rained again yesterday…" She sniffles, resting her head on my shoulder. Another long silence. "I met this impossible woman, who said the most evil things. I- I know my family and I aren't perfect, but…"

"You don't have to be perfect, Lady Sorano. That's not what it's about… my family expected so much from me, I didn't feel like I could ever live up to their standards or make them happy…" As the memories of my childhood surface, I pull Lady Sorano a little closer. "You just need to do the best that you can…"

"No one's ever told me _where_ I need to be my best, it's just always be here, meet this person, do that, and look perfect; no one ever treats me like I really matter and I'm sick of it…" I try to think of something to say, but Lady Sorano begins to sob, and I decide to stay silent. The quiet spins away into the night, and I hold Lady Sorano tight. "Miss Ruza… do you think you could cancel your lesson today, and we could just talk? I'll have them bring us breakfast, and after we're done eating I'll beat you at shogi again…"

In spite of remembering being soundly trounced at shogi, I smile. "That sounds good to me…"

I don't trust myself to sleep while using the Transformation Jutsu, so I ended up staying awake for the rest of the night. The breakfast the servants brought to the guest room is properly ostentatious, with all the pomp accorded to a meal served in the main dining hall. "It's been so long since I've had breakfast in my room," Lady Sorano says, as she takes a very large bite of her waffles. How did she fit that in there? "Ith thould dethinithley dothith mewoffen."

"Indeed." I say, drinking a sip of orange juice.

"I wasth wundthring," A swallow- "Would you like to join me and my family for evening tea, Ruza? I'd like you to be there."

"That's a generous offer, Lady Sorano. I think I'll accept." She nods, and continues to wolf down her waffles. I look down at her plate, startled. I don't think even Choji eats that fast. I try to keep up, but I'm not as hungry as Lady Sorano apparently is.

Lady Sorano gulps down her milk, a villainous white mustache forming on her upper lip. "Ruza, besides Naruto, are there any ninja that you personally know?"

"Only my younger sister. She's something of a rebel; she's the first on either side of my family to be one."

"Is she strong?"

"She's still a pre-teen, but she's strong for her size."

Lady Sorano nods, and takes another gargantuan bite of her waffles. "Tho femayuh niddja cabbe jutht ath trong?"

Please, please, please, don't let this conversation be headed where I think is- "Yes. The current Hokage, Lady Tsunade, is one of the strongest ninja in the world."

"And theeth a Sthinju, righ?" I nod, and wait for Lady Sorano to swallow her bite. Unbelievably, she picks up another waffle and sets it on her plate, bathing it in syrup. "Who are the two Uchiha left?"

Phew, arrow dodged. I was worried Lady Sorano would ask to be trained as a ninja for a moment. "They're both male; the elder is Obito, and the younger is Sasuke. Itachi was Sasuke's older brother."

"And are the Uchiha strong, like the Hokage and the Senju?"

"They tend to be, but nearly any ninja can get stronger with training."

"Do you think I could become a ninja?"

"...Most ninja start their training at a young age. I think it might be more challenging to start now."

"Thought it would be something like that. So, when did the Uchiha Massacre happen, again? About ten years ago?"

"To be a little more exact, I think it was about eight years ago."

"And Itachi got all of them?"

"I'm fairly certain he did. The only ones I know of that he left alive was Sasuke, and Madara and Obito weren't in Konoha when it happened. If there are any besides Obito and Sasuke left, they haven't come forwards."

"And after so long, you'd think they have done it by now, right?"

"I think so." I quickly take a drink of my orange juice before Lady Sorano can ask another question.

A few moments later, and Lady Sorano sets down an empty glass of milk. "Ready to lose at shogi?"

I'm barely half done! "Just a moment," I say with a quick smile. As fast as i can I eat a few more bites, and quickly gulp down my orange juice.

Lady Sorano snaps her fingers, and the servants swoop in, sweeping up the dishes- one of them even picks up the shogi board and carefully places it on the table between us. "You start…" As I usually tend to do, in my earlier turns I try to form a wedge shape that keeps my lances open to strike. Interestingly, Lady Sorano doesn't keep her pawns and other pieces free of the paths- but it can't be that simple. "What do you think of my brother Taizo?"

Oh no. "I've not really had a conversation with him yet, Lady Sorano." Thankfully, I add to myself.

"But you've seen him around, right?"

"Yes, here and there…" I decide to move forward one of my lances, capturing one of Lady Sorano's knights. "He seems tired. I've overheard a couple of the maids say he's hasn't been sleeping well because of some personal problem."

"But he likes it here at the palace, how could he not be sleeping well…" I can think of several reasons why, but I stay silent. "Maybe it's because he hasn't had one of those parties of his…" One of her pawns steps forwards, giving more room to her middle line, which is fast approaching my nearly complete wedge. "Are you a partying type of girl, Ruza?" Lady Sorano asks with a grin.

"No, I'm not one for loud music, but I enjoy being with my friends."

"Well, when you were with them, did you ever wish there was _more_ to being with them, something different?"

"No, life in a ninja village is far from monotonous. Do you think Taizo might be like that?" Lady Sorano doesn't reply, and one of her bishops zips towards the side of my wedge, hovering a couple squares away.

After surveying the board, Lady Sorano asks, "Did your little sister ever tell you about her missions?"

"No, but because she's young I can't imagine that they're anything serious, probably just acting as a bodyguard to some trader."

"Who are some traders that you know of?" Lady Sorano's second bishop mirrors the position of the other, and in a flash, I realize that I'm already too far behind to win the match from the current set up. How does she do this?

"The only trader I'm familiar with is Amane Tatsuyama, who is a seamstress. She's a quiet and gentle young lady only a few years older than me."

"Ah, you're no help, Ruza! You could at least secretly be into leather or toes or something weird."

"I have my hands full being a tutor," I say with a small smile. Lady Sorano sneers, and then jabs one of her bishops into the base of my wedge, threatening my back row. "And what's with these questions about your brother?"

"...Like I've said, I'm interested in learning about people." Lady Sorano moves her knight out to her front line, and continues, "...And you should know your family the best. Sometimes people let familiarity cloud their judgement…"

A typically sharp and simple observation for Lady Sorano, but it isn't issued with her usual confidence. "Learning about people is a good hobby for a member of the royal family," I say. I slide forwards my other lance, capturing Lady Sorano's other knight. She sticks her other bishop into the side of my wedge, and I almost give up right then and there.

"Six more moves, at the most. Are you really this bad?" Apparently. "Anyways, I think you're right about learning about people, but what I really want to know is why there's never been any push for me to learn about people instead of dead guys and treaties and all that boring crap."

"Well, you should set your own goals, then. There's nowhere to go but up when you start with nothing, isn't there?"

"The sky's the limit and all that, right?" Lady Sorano smiles, and moves one of her bishops a square, just out of range of my generals but at the right place to put my king in check. I close my eyes and sigh, and make the move that seals the deal on another shogi loss.

In terms of anxiety, this is right up there with my first meeting with Yusei. Who knew drinking tea could ever be so nerve wracking. I'm in one of the nicer yukata I bought for the mission, a black floral print one with a pink obi. I affect my best shy and polite smile as the daimyo and Lady Sorano's brothers take their seats. I feel Taizo glance at me and try to catch my eye, and I have to restrain my Killing Intent- even civilians can sense it if it's strong enough.

"How are your lessons going, dear?" Asks the daimyo as he begins the ceremony.

"Well enough, father. I actually rather enjoyed Miss Ruza's last lesson on economics." The one where she was building a theoretical addiction based rule? The small smile Lady Sorano slips me definitely doesn't help.

"And how is she as a student, Miss Hirawa?"

"Her mind moves very quickly-" Off-topic, I don't say out loud- "And she is very interested in learning the individual motives of historical figures." Close enough, I think.

"Good, good." Sho takes up the water, placing it on the portable brazier. It heats silently for a moment, and I still feel Taizo looking at me. I've not seen a tea ceremony done as the daimyo's family does it, each family member taking a turn in the preparation. To me the rather informal ceremony seems charming, actually. As Taizo scoops out the tea from the caddy he keeps his eyes on his task, in that very obvious "I'm not looking at you right now" kind of way. As he finishes he looks up, and I give him a neutral look before turning to Lady Sorano. She quietly waits for the water to heat, hands folded in her lap. This is the calmest I've ever seen her, and it's astounding. A few long moments later a few thin wisps of steam curl up from the kettle, and she takes it off, calmly pouring the water in with a practiced motion. She gives me the tea whisk, gesturing to continue. This is no small thing she's doing, and I look to the daimyo for confirmation. He nods, and I relax slightly, and stir the tea briskly. I make sure it's very well mixed before stopping, and looking back over to the daimyo. He nods graciously, and ladles the tea into the cups then passing them to us. "To good health."

"To good health." The daimyo raises his cup, and takes a quick sip. The tea is hot, but thankfully it has had a bit of time to cool. It's wonderfully calm and gentle.

"I've only seen you around a few times, Miss Hirawa," Taizo asks. "Where are you staying, if I may ask?"

"Your younger sister Lady Sorano was very kind to offer me her guest room; I am staying there for now." Taizo sagely nods, taking a sip of his tea.

"How have you had time to plan your lessons?" Sho asks. He greatly resembles his mother, Lady Shijimi, yet somehow managing to look masculine.

"I had several planned before I traveled here, but I'm adjusting them as I go."

"Which she has done a fair job of," Lady Sorano adds.

"When will she have her first test?" The daimyo asks.

"She's already taken it, and passed," I say, thinking back to the horrendous incident in the alley yesterday.

"Really?" Lady Sorano and her family ask all at the same time.

"Yes. Life doesn't tell you when your toughest trials are coming, so I think it appropriate my tests follow suit."

"Ah, I see…" Says the daimyo. Lady Sorano has narrowed her gaze on me, searching my eyes as if I've just pulled off a mask. Which, unfortunately, isn't all that far from the truth. "What was she tested on?"

"On general knowledge that a daimyo of the Land of Fire would need." I take a sip of my tea. Sho has a wistful look on his face as he watches his cup of tea, and I catch Taizo sliding his eyes up to my face when I briefly glance over to Lady Sorano before taking another sip of my tea.

Giving a well-practiced cough, Lady Sorano speaks up. "Father, if you would allow me to, I would like to sit in on the council the next time you hold court." An otherworldly silence settles over the tea room, and Lady Sorano's brothers and father look stunned.

The daimyo gives me an odd look, then turns to Lady Sorano. "Yes. Yes, I'll have you sit in on the council." While I may not have yet swayed her to Yusei's side, I feel like I've taken the first step towards Lady Sorano becoming a productive daimyo.


	32. Chapter 32

I'd thought that perhaps Lady Sorano would be more willing to stick with the lesson today, but I was wrong.

"Didn't we already talk about taxes?"

"Briefly, yes."

"Then what's with you outlining another system for them?"

"I only told you of the current taxes and tariffs, Lady Sorano. There are other systems that have been used successfully, so I was trying to outline them, as well."

"Now you're getting into archaic tax laws? I thought you were better than this."

"I am." I struggle to think of an explanation for a few seconds, then continue. "You see, some of these laws are still used by the other nations, and if you understand their tax laws you might perhaps be able to understand what you could do with the tariffs on imported goods."

"Hmm." I get out a couple sheets of paper that have the bare basics of the Land of Wind's tax law's, and slide them over to Lady Sorano. "Hmm... on water... okay, I get where you're going with this now. And how long has their tax code been like this?"

"Since the reign of their last daimyo, at least."

"They could do with lowering the overuse fines on water," Lady Sorano says.

"That's true, but the heavy penalties are in place to keep use down, not because their daimyo is a tyrant."

"Ah...!" As she looks over the sheets again, Lady Sorano's face light up. "So, what's the Land of Fire's water?"

Uh-oh. "Well... we're fortunate to be a large nation with a relatively diverse geography, but we're slightly lacking in mineral exports."

After thinking for a minute and looking over the sheets I'd handed her, Lady Sorano says, "Taxes are kind of like a shogi match, aren't they? Lots of variable moving pieces to pressure your opponent with."

"...That's one way of looking at it."

"So how is our match going?"

"The Land of Fire has a bit of rebuilding to do after the last ninja war, and we also have some economic commitments to help some of the other nations involved in the war so they're better able to rebuild. So, I suppose that would mean we... need to keep a close eye on our pawns."

"And what about the drop rule?" Lady Sorano asks with a grin.

"...For now, I think it's best we just let the opponent know we still have their captured pieces waiting." The way Lady Sorano builds these monster economies in her mind is unnerving and distracting, so I decide to end the lesson a little early. "That's all for today. I'd like you to keep the copy of the Land of Wind's tax code and study it."

"Hnh. Alright." I gather up my things, but before I can leave Lady Sorano asks, "Do you have anything planned for this afternoon?"

"I was going to take a walk through the gardens and prepare the next lesson there," I lie. I will be walking around, but not outside of the castle.

"Okay. I was thinking that maybe we could go shopping; my last trip got ruined by the rain and meeting that woman..."

"What woman?" I ask, trying to look concerned even though I know exactly which woman Lady Sorano is talking about.

"...She was a ninja-"

"She didn't do anything to you, did she?!"

"The bitch spat water in my face, but she didn't attack me, if that's what you're worried about. She said and implied the most awful things about my brother Taizo..."

"What was her name?"

"This man who came to meet her called her Raiko. She got nervous when I asked about her last name, so she showed me her eyes... they were like the ones you told me about the other day when we talked about ninja. Red, and with shapes. But, you said there were only two Uchiha alive, didn't you, Ruza?"

"Yes, only two. It's possible a few weren't in Konoha when the massacre happened, but it's also possible that Itachi knew where they were and hunted them down, too."

"Exactly, and you said that if they hadn't come forwards now, they probably won't ever. So I'm not sure of what this woman is doing so far from Konoha here in the city. Wouldn't she want to go back home now that Itachi is gone?"

"That's possible. With everything that Obito and Sasuke did at the end of the war, she'd probably be very welcome there."

"And instead she's working with a bunch of treasonous thugs..." Lady Sorano sighs, looking down at the table. "Well, I won't keep you from your walk. Good day, Miss Ruza." I give Lady Sorano a nod, and stand to go.

In my room, I take a second to look at myself in the mirror. The closer Raiko is to being discovered, the more danger Ruza and I get in, too.

I set the lesson folder down on my desk, and step out. I'm headed towards the servant hall on this floor, which is a very plain and boring place to walk unless you intend to spread or start a rumor. Resting against the wall and using the Chakra Sensing Technique, I get a feel of the activity in the hall. A few people walking it, and none nearby. Looking around, I then quickly use the Transformation Jutsu, taking the appearance of Nurari. I step around the corner and into the hall, walking confidently. The servants give me curious looks, and I sneer at them as I pass. I smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen, and step in. It's bustling with activity in preparation for lunch, and I stop the nearest servant girl I see. She flinches under my touch, and I lean in to snarl in a low voice, "Tell Taizo that Nurari is here looking for him." I release her and she scurries off, throwing the door open. "Can a man get a sandwich here, or what?!" None of the cooks offer me one, and I sigh and turn around to leave. There's a few people in the hall headed towards the kitchen, and as fast as I can without running, I walk towards the stairs. They're clear, and I shift the Transformation Jutsu to take the appearance of Ruza, continuing my walk down. I think that I'm actually going to need the walk in the gardens to clear my mind now...


	33. Chapter 33

"Miss Hirawa?" I look from planning Lady Sorano's lesson, and open my door. It's the doorman who I met my first day here, Mister Midoriyama. He greets me with a bow, which is entirely unnecessary, and extends a letter.

"Oh, thank you…" I smile. Though it has no name or return address, it has the stamp of something that's passed through the Konoha postal office. Mister Midoriyama smiles and nods, then turns to go. Quickly, I sit down my desk and open the letter. The handwriting almost looks printed, it's so neat. No one I know of has handwriting that good. But, as I look over it again, I realize who it's from…

"How are you doing? I'd love to speak with you

in person, but unfortunately due to our current

jobs that just isn't possible at the moment.

I've heard through the grapevine that you've made

good use of the list of things to do in the royal

city that I gave you. There are so many things

to do there! I'd love to know if you've had a tour

of the palace and what that was like. Though I

myself can't be there, there is someone in the

royal city I'd like you to meet: he's a lovely fellow

who owns a bar called Mr. Taniguchi's, and

sometimes tends the bar himself. Ask for the Double

Dragon, it's the bar's signature drink. I know

you're not the type to meet random strangers, but

you don't need to worry about this man- I've

heard he's a friend of the daimyo's son, Taizo.

As for how things are going in my pet shop, I've

been getting a lot of parrots and snakes lately.

Many of them were captured in the wild, but a few

are purebreds I've had brought in from the royal

city itself! They're fascinating, and a few of the

snakes have had black scales, a most curious breed.

Unfortunately, within one family I purchased, the

young ones got quite hungry, and attacked each

other. I still have the parents, so this isn't an issue.

Some of the parrots have been saying "Rain!" in that

squawky voice that parrots have. Has it been raining

in the royal city? I do hope you take care to carry an

umbrella with you. But perhaps it wouldn't be so

bad, all that rain; it has been rather dry these recent

weeks, hasn't it?

Hope everything goes well.

Hugs and Kisses and Best of Wishes, XOXO."

Pet shop? Ibiki has a rather dark sense of humor. But goodness, that bit about the snakes with black scales is worrying. Because if it isn't about internal struggles within the Black Dragons, the only other thing I can think of it meaning is that Taizo is planning to shorten the line of succession. Hmm… actually, after further thought, that makes too much sense to not be true. Taizo doesn't even have to do the deed himself- he's got the Black Dragons on call(for now), and it's possible some of the Akiyama Group is still answering to him even after what happened to Nurari. And then there's the matter of his younger sister- though times are changing, there hasn't been a female daimyo in the Land of Fire, ever. So, he could still make an appeal to the traditionalists if he follows through, and since Lady Sorano would presumably be none the wiser and grieving Sho, she might not make a claim to her father's place.

And what if Taizo doesn't stop with Sho, and goes after his father? That would be a dark day for the Land of Fire, indeed. What's the time frame for all this? It could be immediate, or it could take dozens of years. But, I have a sinking feeling it's going to be soon. Taizo wouldn't make his plans knowns unless he was going to act on them relatively soon, I'm sure. Even worse, I may have had a small role in speeding up the process: if Lady Sorano continues to show interest in her father's duties, this may be happening in a matter of months, or even weeks. Still worse, Taizo may decide to have the Black Dragons eliminate her, too.

Then there's the matter of Raiko. If her name is all over the underground, once news of her suspected lineage spreads the ninja world would be in an uproar. _Another_ supposedly long-dead Uchiha, this time with plans to assassinate a member of the royal family? That definitely wouldn't go over well, to put it lightly. I sigh, and get up to put on my shoes. I'm going to need another long walk in the gardens to think...


	34. Chapter 34

"Plain blue? But that won't work with your hair at all, Ruza."

Well, Lady Sorano would be correct, if she knew what my true hair color was. I suppose I just momentarily forgot it, or wasn't aware that umbrellas should be coordinated with your hair color. "...It's been a good while since I've needed one," I say. "I spend most of my time indoors."

"Here, this burgundy one. It's nearly the same shade as your hair." I prop the umbrella open on my shoulder and smile, and Lady Sorano nods approvingly. But amidst the burst of colors that make up the umbrellas and hand fans, I see something black. I pick it out and open it up, and see a red mitsudomoe design edged in gold. Hmm, perfect for Raiko. "That one? Hold it up, let me see…" After eyeing my look for a few moments, Lady Sorano shrugs. "...It's not the worst."

"I'll take it," I say to the owner of the stand. Lady Sorano's servant quickly pays for my umbrella and her master's fans, and we continue down the street.

"So, Miss Ruza doesn't get out much, does she?" Lady Sorano asks slyly, looking sidelong at me.

"Mainly just to buy groceries. Once every so often when one of my old school friends isn't busy, we'll have dinner together." Fairly close to the truth, actually. As a ninja, most of your free time goes to training and maintaining your equipment.

"And is Naruto one of those friends?"

"Y- yes, he is…"

"You told me you wrote him the other day about coming to help with your lessons on ninja, have you heard back?"

"No, not yet, Lady Sorano. Being a ninja, it's very possible he's busy and hasn't read my letter yet."

"Ah, oh well. Perhaps if he's able to make it here I'll invite him to supper."

"That would be very nice, Lady Sorano." It's almost embarrassing to think of Naruto's appetite being stifled by the formalities of dinner with the daimyo, but the meal would certainly be lively.

"It would be, wouldn't it? Maybe if Taizo snaps out of this funk and throws another one of his parties, I'll get you to go." Lady Sorano sees the look on my face at that suggestion, and cackles. "Lighten up a little, Ruza."

"I'm light enough right now," I say, faking a playful sneer. "Perhaps you would come with me? Your brother Taizo is fond of you, right?"

"Oh, he just can't get enough of me," Lady Sorano says dryly. "Especially these last few years since he's become a party animal... we were best friends when I was younger…" She adds, staring off far away. A disturbing flash goes through my mind, and it takes a bit of effort not to gag.

"Maybe a part of him still likes you," I suggest. "Perhaps you could team up on him with Sho and get into one of his parties that way."

"HA! Taizo would _die_ if Sho came to one of his parties; Sho is so traditional he'd stick out like a sore thumb. I'm not sure he even knows how to do The Dougie.." Lady Sorano gives me a devilish grin. "That settles it, then. I'll what I can do to get us three into Taizo's next big bash." I smile, and try to think of how I'll maneuver around in that event- it will be a fine line between my work as Ruza and Raiko.

As we step into the clothing store a few places down the street, I catch a glimpse of a familiar face. Walking with Lady Sorano to look over the kimono and yukata doesn't give me much chance to see who it was, and I feign interest in the yukata she points out. Another glimpse: long, straight black hair. Lady Sorano gives a small tug on my sleeve, and I look down. "For you or me?"

"For me, Ruza. What do you think?" The yukata is green, the sleeves richly embroidered in golden thread.

"That's lovely! I think it would match that fan you got, too."

"That's what I was thinking. You can look around and get something from here too, Ruza." I give a grateful nod, and looking around, pick a very flowery yukata I would never wear and head to the dressing rooms. On the way I finally see the person: long black hair, and a narrow heart-shaped face- the woman I ran into before my first meeting with Yusei here in the city. Our eyes meet, and I offer a small smile before turning away and entering the dressing room. I hang the yukata on the door and shift the Transformation Jutsu, taking the appearance of Raiko. I smooth down her dark hair and loosely braid it, and step out. Thankfully, Lady Sorano and her servant aren't looking over, instead with their backs to me as they discuss another kimono. The dark-haired woman is looking over the haori racked on the wall, and I casually sidle over.

"Lovely weather the city's been having lately, isn't it?"

"It's been nice enough," She says, looking over. At first she doesn't recognize me, but before she turns back to the racks her head snaps back to me, eyes wide.

"Only those sudden showers have ruined the blue skies," I say longingly.

"Not here. This is my one day off before…" She trails off, catching herself.

"Just a couple simple questions, don't worry. You made contact with Taizo, right?"

"Yes. I have never felt so unclean."

"Hn. Did he mention any plans for his brother Sho?"

"...Whose side are you on?"

"Not Taizo's."

"...All I can say is that he told Yotsuki to hurry up." I nod, and glance over at Lady Sorano. She's placed the kimono back on the rack, and I hurry over towards the dressing room. I'm quickly back as Ruza, and I begin putting on my yukata. It's the wrong size, too large. The watched feeling awakens as I tug it into place, and I take it off. I can't bear to have the feeling on me right now, and I stride back out into the shop, looking towards Lady Sorano. I smile, and prepare myself to get ready to party...


	35. Chapter 35

I've been spending the afternoon walking through the gardens and over the grounds. Not idly, as I've been working up my chakra and using the Chakra Sensing Technique as I do so. My range is enough to cover nearly the whole palace, the outer buildings out of my reach. The feel of Lady Sorano is very familiar to me now, as are a few other individuals, like Mister Midoriyama. I spin the shaft of my new umbrella as I turn the corner of the servant's building, enjoying the bit of shade on this sunny day.

The Common Garden, as the one nearest to the servant's building is called, is in sight. It's a low maze lined with blooming vines, and in each corner is an arrangement of flowers surrounded by benches. I decide to stop here for a moment, and rest. Sitting in the near left corner, I let the Chakra Sensing Technique fade, and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers. So many worries have invaded my life the last couple of months I've had precious few moments to myself. But, as my mind begins to clear, the watched feeling opens up and enfolds me. My breath speeds up; this is the strongest it's ever been if I'm not showering or around Naruto. I scramble to work up chakra and use the Chakra Sensing Technique, but as usual, it reveals nothing. I can feel its weight on my back, whispering in my ear. "_Touch…"_ I break down and start crying, letting my umbrella fall to the ground.

Several moments later, the tears stop flowing. I wipe my tears with the back of my hand and pick up my umbrella, shaking off the dirt. After a second I open it and rest it against my shoulder, closing my eyes. I hear someone walking over, but don't turn to look. They sit down beside me on the bench, a little too close for my liking, and say, "Taking time to stop and smell the roses?"

Before I can catch myself my true feelings for Taizo leak out, and the Killing Intent cracks the bench. Taizo tumbles into me and we both fall off, him landing on top. He looks me over and gives me a smirk before standing, and offers me a hand. I take it, and he pulls me up. "Perhaps I need to lose a bit of weight…"

"You're fine," Taizo says with a chuckle. "And these benches are ancient. It was probably about time they got replaced, anyways." He takes a deep breath, and looks into my eyes. "So what brings you out here, Miss Hirawa? Are you doing okay? It looks like you've been crying."

"I just needed a moment to relax…"

"Yeah, it can get pretty stressful around here sometimes. Doctor Tadakichi said it'd do me good to get some fresh air, so I thought I'd spend sometime walking around."

"Doctor?" I ask. In fact, now that I look at him, Taizo does have bags under his eyes.

"I've been having a few… problems." Taizo looks away to the flower arrangement, and asks, "Miss Hirawa… have you been seeing things? Like ghosts?"

"Can't say that I have. Have you been having nightmares?"

"...Of a sort. My summer in the quarters got ruined by all that gang violence, and the cooks swear they saw a dead friend of mine the other day… I'd been planning on having an easy, quiet summer, then I come home and the weather is all over the place and I can't get a good night's sleep…"

If Taizo was the person his family thinks he is, that would indeed be an awful summer. "Isn't sudden rain supposed to be a good omen? Your sister passed her test after the last shower."

"Heh, it is some kind of miracle that you've stayed this long, I'll admit that. Sorano's last tutor left after four days."

"Then maybe after the next shower your luck will change."

"Maybe it will…" Taizo turns to me, with a smirk on his face. "Say, Miss Hirawa, are you busy tonight?"

"Yes, there was something I needed to take care of in the city tonight and tomorrow."

"Two nights? Sounds fun."

"That… wasn't what I meant…" I say, with a blush.

"I know I know, just teasing. But, you know, if you really want to I could get you a room here in the palace instead of some run-down hotel."

"It would be awkward to do what I need to do here in the palace…"

"Again, just teasing. I know what you mean- why do you think I head to Tanzaku Quarters in the Summer? The thought of being summoned for some boring official business while in the act is revolting."

"Official business? Pardon me for saying so, but you're only the second son, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's not so much holding court as it is formal dinners and dances and all that fun stuff. Say… how about I throw a little party out in the city in a few days? You'll have a chance to get Sorano out of your hair, and who knows, you might meet someone there."

I'm having trouble believing this happened without me even trying. "...Well, fine. One little party shouldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" Taizo says, clapping me on the shoulder. "And make sure to wear that black yukata you wore to tea the other day!" He adds as he walks away.

In spite of myself, I smile. I'll have to tell Lady Sorano…

Later in the evening, I'm headed to Mr. Taniguchi's. The bar is in the more ornate and affluent part of the royal city closer to the palace, with large gilded signs proudly hanging above the store fronts. The air is still warm, but not as oppressive as it was during the day, and I'm not carrying my umbrella with me. I'm wearing a loose yukata I haven't worn around the palace yet, simple and of the same blue color my baby sister Hanabi favors. It works well with Raiko's dark hair. I suspect I'll be underdressed, but that's the furthest thing from my mind right now.

I step in, and my hunch is proven correct: everyone I see has some kind of stylish or expensive evening wear on. The women have glittering jewelry, and I see one clean-shaven man with a striking jaw-line wearing dark sunglasses. No one looks my way, except for the bartender. I give him a friendly smile and nod, and make my way over. He's a younger man, close to Taizo's age, and his brown hair is slicked back. "A casual night out?"

"Something like that," I say with a sly grin.

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

I start to order a Double Dragon, but hesitate for a second, as I doubt that this man is Toriko Yotsuki. "I'll take some sake, the smoothest you have." The bar tender nods, and scans the bottles behind him for a moment. I watch his hands carefully, but don't notice anything going into my glass, and as he hands it to me he gives a slight smile before someone else at the bar calls him over. Though refined, there's a lively atmosphere in the bar. I let my eyes wander around it, glancing towards the corners. I see no older gentlemen solemnly watching as they sip their drinks, or plain-looking men who are too bland. It seems it's just another spirited night, and I calmly finish my drink. I call for my tab, and the bar tender brings it up. I flinch; there goes my spending money for the next week. Thankfully, Lady Sorano bought my umbrella and yukata, and I have enough to pay. As I get up from the stool the room wobbles a bit, and I shake my head. That sake was so smooth is was like drinking air, almost. As steady as I can, I leave Mr. Taniguchi's and head for the Transformation Jutsu switch point…


	36. Chapter 36

"But the party is tomorrow!"

"I know, Lady Sorano. But I think the kimono I got the other day will work fine enough."

"No, no- that's for the traditional, formal dinner kind of thing. Taizo's parties are anything but that, from what I hear."

"Well, perhaps I'll get something while I'm out today."

"Hmph. And where did you go the day before yesterday, anyways?"

"To a bar, just for a drink."

A suspicious look comes onto Lady Sorano's face. "You? Out to a bar by yourself? I have trouble believing that."

"I needed to relax and do something different."

"And you're going back to the same place, I presume?"

"No, it was far too expensive. I'm going to try somewhere else," I lie.

"Expensive? On what my father pays you?" Lady Sorano says with a smile.

"Yes… but, I don't go out for drinks all that often, so I may have accidentally ordered the most costly sake they had without knowing it."

"Ha. Well you should try Mr. Taniguchi's. They aren't too bad."

"And what's a lady of your age doing at a bar?"

"A couple of my suitors have taken me there. I'd been refusing everyone my father suggested for a match, and they both were the 'get her drunk first' type of guy, it turned out. We haven't heard back from them yet."

"I can't imagine a young bachelor losing interest in you, Lady Sorano."

"Ha, ha. Well fine. If you don't want to go shopping tonight that's okay, just tell me where you're going."

"Kuraka's Tea Shop," I say. It's the place where I stop to change into Raiko, and is a dozen blocks away from Mr. Taniguchi's. If Lady Sorano is going to try and catch me out, I want to lead her as far away from where I'm really going as I can. "I stopped there my first day here in the city, and I've been meaning to go back for some time now."

"Ah, how like you to go to a tea shop. Well, you'd better get going if you want to be there before the afternoon rush."

"I have a couple things to do in my room first. Now, remember to get started on that mock treaty. I'll be expecting you to turn it in soon."

"Are you really making me do that?"

"Yes. As the saying goes, history is written by the victors- so this is an exercise in making history altering decisions. That will be all for today, Lady Sorano."

"Alright. See you later, Ruza." I give a smile to Lady Sorano, and leave for my room.

Once in, I sit at the desk to think. If Toriko Yotsuki is there, I can't leave the building as Raiko once I'm done with him. With all the attention already on Raiko, that would be a bit too much- so it'll have to be like what I did with Nurari- simple and clean, and let things unravel once it's discovered Yotsuki is dead. But even so, that won't be the end of it. For an organization as smart as the Black Dragons that's under the employ of a man like Taizo, there's going to have to be some kind of backup plan, I'm sure. Sho's a bit of a homebody, so there must be some kind of event away from the palace where they could get to him…

Late in the evening, I'm headed to Mr. Taniguchi's as Raiko. With the shift in the Transformation Jutsu I also included a silk, all-black yukata. Raiko's hair is loose and simply pulled over her shoulder, in the "fashionably messy" style I've seen a few of the younger citizens of the royal city wearing. On the street I see a few young men sneak glances at me as I pass, unlike the other times I've been out as Raiko- but it's not their attention I'm hoping to catch.

The bar is the same as it was last time, with the chandeliers casting a soft glow on the scene and the stained glass lamps lighting up the dimmer corners of the room. The patrons are no less fashionable either, and though still underdressed I don't stick out as much as last time. I give a friendly smile and wink to the bar tender, who again is the only one who glances my way as I enter. In a flash, I understand- he may not be Yotsuki, but he works for him, and definitely knows who Raiko is. "What can I get you this evening, ma'am?"

"I think I'll try something a little fancy tonight," I say with a saucy grin. I lean in and whisper, "Could you get me a Double Dragon?"

To his credit, the young man doesn't even blink. "The drink comes with the private room in the back, which is occupied right now, unfortunately."

"Well, perhaps I'll just have it out here. Would that work?"

The bar tender looks over my shoulder and holds up two fingers. After a moment he nods, and looks back to me. "The room's right over there," He says, pointing to his left. "I'll have your drink in a minute."

"Thank you." I get up a weave my way through the crowd, and see the sign announcing the private room on the wall above the door. I quietly work up a bit of chakra, and use the Chakra Sensing Technique. The private room indeed is occupied- and what's more, by two familiar people. I gulp and prepare, and then confidently open the door. Lady Sorano recognizes me right away, and Taizo has a puzzled look on his face, as if he doesn't quite recognize me, or does and isn't sure why I'm here right now. "Lovely evening, isn't it?"

"Sorano, do you know her?" Taizo asks. Lady Sorano looks furious, but amazingly holds her tongue. Taizo faces me again, and says, "Well, it's nice to meet you ma'am, but I had this room reserved. So if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left."

"What are you doing here?" Lady Sorano suddenly asks, now looking more sullen than angry.

"No special occasion, just here to while the night away sipping a Double Dragon." Aha- there, for a split-second, I see a flash of recognition and surprise cross Taizo's face.

"If you couldn't afford an umbrella, how could you afford something from here?"

"Sorano? Who is she? Taizo asks, concern in his voice.

"S- she's…"

"I'm The Rainmaker." I turn to Lady Sorano, a knowing smirk on my face. "You didn't tell you brother about me?" She opens her mouth to reply, but I cut her off. "I forgot, your brother already knows who I am, sorry. So, Taizo. How've you been?"

"I don't think we've met."

"Oh, well, I suppose we haven't been face to face before."

"No, we definitely haven't… but if you're after my sister-" At that moment a man walks into the room- the clean-shaven man with the sunglasses I noticed my last time here. Taizo almost jumps; Lady Sorano doesn't take her eyes off of me.

"Lord Taizo, Lady Sorano," The man says. He has a rich voice.

"Mister Taniguchi, I reserved this room. What is that woman doing here?" Taizo asks.

"I'm here to discuss a bit of business with him. Would you and your sister mind leaving the room so the grown-ups can talk?"

Lady Sorano closes her eyes, heavy emotions twisting over her face. "Taizo… who is she? Be honest…" There's a tense, ugly silence that fills the room, and Taizo looks extremely nervous. "Taizo...?!"

"...She's the woman who killed my friend Nurari." The man who Taizo called Mister Taniguchi is startled by this, and turns to me.

"Lord Taizo, would you mind giving me a moment with this woman?" Taizo nods, and takes Lady Sorano by the arm and makes his exit.

"Mister Taniguchi" sighs heavily and sits down at the table next to me. "Are you really The Rainmaker?"

"Are you really Toriko Yotsuki?"

With another sigh, he takes his glasses off. I can see now a few slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which are a light hazel. "Yes."

"How are things going with the Black Dragons?"

"Thanks to you, very well. We've been able to step in where the Akiyama Group used to hold ground and set up business there."

"And business here in the royal city?"

"Ha."

"I know you're working with him. Where does he have you next?"

"Right where we are now. We had to move things up, but that doesn't really change anything."

"And what would the Akiyama Group's part in those things have been?"

"The same thing they always did for him: the drugs and girls, and the little out of the way place to stash them."

"And that's where you come in, providing the facade to get Sho into Taizo's little funhouse, right?"

"Basically. He made it out to be something like Sho was starting to experiment with hallucinogens, and needed something nice and easy to start with."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do to get Sorano off his back." Yotsuki nods, and before he can blink I leap up and land a strike to his heart point. His lips move soundlessly, and his eyelids slide down halfway. I pull out the blank scroll I bought earlier in the afternoon, and seal his body into it. I perform the Optic Delusory Jutsu, the private room now giving the illusion of Raiko slumped over on the table in sleep. I shift the Transformation Jutsu to take Yotsuki's appearance, and stride out of the room. The bar tender is only a few steps away, and I stop him to whisper, "Change of plans, I'm headed out on business. I put the woman out cold so you don't need to bother with the drink." The young man nods, and I make my way out of the bar, winking at a red-headed young woman as I pass.

Once out of the bar, I walk down the street and step into the alley. I'd thought about just letting Yotsuki disappear, but if I'm going to stop Taizo, I think I need more than that. Moving into the shadows of the trash cans, I unseal Toriko and take out the small knife I'd bought earlier. It takes me a second to get ready, and then I open his shirt and carve "ASK TAIZO" on his chest with the knife, and then reseal him. When I was looking at the map to plan an exit route earlier, I made note of the wider and more well-traveled streets in the royal city. Instead of staying away, I'll be headed right towards them. The main avenue leading to the palace is out of the question, but a few streets branching off close by the bar would do well. Sticking to the alleys, I walk over, and then leap onto a roof. I'm out of view due to the store's facade, and very carefully, I unseal Yotsuki and push him over to towards the street. I hop back down and hear the commotion start to grow behind me, and looking to make sure no one's in sight, shift the Transformation Jutsu back to Ruza's appearance. I sigh, more than a little disgusted with myself. That's two now- no more, unless somehow I can get away with the third being Taizo...


	37. Chapter 37

Today's tutoring session was very tense. I knew what was bothering Lady Sorano, but couldn't ask; all her replies were short and distracted. I can only imagine how awful the walk home with Taizo must have been. Finally, as we're getting ready for the party, I decide to try. "Lady Sorano, has something been bothering you today?"

"...Taizo's been avoiding me since we got home yesterday…"

"You went out without me?"

"Very funny. After I talked about it yesterday, I decided to go to Mr. Taniguchi's and brought Taizo with me. It was going fine enough until _she_ walked in…"

"'She' who?"

"That Raiko woman," Lady Sorano says, combing her hair. "She was her usual self, but then Taizo said she's the one who killed Nurari."

"And she didn't try to hurt you?"

"No, she just sat there with that fucking annoying smirk on her face, like she knew there was nothing we could do to stop her." I take a second to adjust the sash on Lady Sorano's yukata, and she continues. "I'd already guessed she done that after the last time I saw her, so really it just makes me wonder how Taizo would know of her. He'd never involve himself with some treasonous commoner like her."

"...From what you've said, to me it sounds like she's pretty focused getting Taizo to admit to something. Maybe he's unknowingly wronged her or someone close to her in some way."

"And that's the thing- Taizo can be kind of a douche sometimes, but all he does is party. How do you offend someone so bad with just a party? That can't be all there is to it, but Taizo won't say anything."

I step away from adjusting Lady Sorano's yukata, and start on my own. As Taizo had asked what feels like ages ago, it's the same black floral one I wore to evening tea. To take Lady Sorano off the topic of Taizo's secret activities, I ask, "Do you know when your brother Sho will be ready?"

"He should be done a little bit after us. I didn't tell him what kind of party it was, so he'll probably be going full formal."

"That will be something to see…"

"Yes, it will."

When we swung by his room, Sho was indeed formally dressed- I think the only thing missing was the headdress. Lady Sorano was almost smiling, but I could tell she was trying to remain calm so Sho wouldn't suspect anything. A carriage was waiting for us at the gates, and Sho helped Lady Sorano and I in. "Where did you say the party was, Sorano?"

"It's at the Purple Snapdragon," Lady Sorano answers. "Nice and roomy."

Sho nods, then looks over at me. "How have you been, Miss Hirawa? My sister not giving you too much trouble?"

"I'm okay, things have been going fine," I lie. I still feel bad about what I did to Yotsuki, and how I treated Lady Sorano at Mr. Taniguchi's last night.

"Good. It was delightful to have you in court, Sorano; a very nice change of perspective."

"And I enjoyed giving it. Is it always like that, with so many people there?"

"No, there are always more in the Summer months than usual. Perhaps if you come again, Miss Hirawa could come to watch."

Though it makes me nervous, I get a strong gut feeling I need to agree. "That sounds interesting. If your father would allow it, I think I'd like to." Sho nods, and Lady Sorano shoots me a playful betrayed look. The nervous feeling remains, and I begin to think it's not just related to being in court. I try to calm down, and use the Chakra Sensing Technique- but, as usual, it reveals nothing out of the ordinary.

"Are you okay, Miss Ruza? It looks like you dozed off for a second there."

"I'm fine Lady Sorano, just a little tired. I was up late last night thinking…"

"Just make sure you don't fall asleep at the table," Lady Sorano says, jokingly. The rest of the short ride passes in silence, and soon after we come to a stop, the driver opens the door, and I almost flinch: the store front and the facade- this is the building where I dropped Yotsuki last night. Sho gets out first, and then helps Lady Sorano and I down. I go first and open the door, and am greeted by a wave of dance music that pulses with a suggestive beat. Sho gives a skeptical look to Lady Sorano, but she pushes him along. "Let's get some drinks and try to find Taizo!" She shouts over the music.

The lights have been dimmed, and the chandeliers cast their glittering patterns around the room like confetti. All the tables have been pushed to the side and we make our way over to get our drinks, avoiding the dancers that randomly cross our path. All of a sudden it hits me: this is exactly the kind of situation I talked to Yotsuki about, an occasion to get Sho out of the palace, and into the trap waiting for him. As I fill my cup with what I hope is punch, I turn to a girl sipping her drink next to me. "Have you seen Taizo?"

She nods, her short hair bouncing. "He's over there," She says, pointing to the far corner of the room. I smile, and motion Sho and Lady Sorano to follow me. The dance floor is a tangled mess, one made worse when a new song starts playing. I try to stick close to Sho, but it's hard. Eventually we make it over there, and I see a loose circle of people around a couple dancers- and Taizo is one of them. From what I know of dancing he's not that bad, actually. I wave to him, and almost smile as I see him recognize Lady Sorano and Sho. I bounce along to the beat with the rest of the circle, and then once the song ends, Taizo makes his way over.

"What are you guys doing here?!"

"We're here to party," Lady Sorano says with a grin.

"Hold our drinks," I say as I give mine to Taizo. "Come on, Sho!" I pull him into the circle as a new song starts, a very bouncy and fast-paced one with an electronic melody. Sho looks lost, and though I don't know any dances besides a waltz or foxtrot, I start moving; swinging my arms around side to side, hopping to my front and back with the beat. Eventually Sho starts moving cautiously, waving his arms in the same way I am. I hold my arms up and spin as I wave them when the chorus starts again, and see Sho start to do it too. I forget about my worries for a second, and just dance. Sho gradually starts loosening up, though he isn't quite matching my movements- with his heavy formal robes on, it's like watching a butterfly taking the first few flaps of its wings. But before we can really get going, the song ends.

I realize now that the sound wasn't part of the backing vocals, it was Lady Sorano laughing. "That was the dorkiest dancing I've ever seen!" She says, holding her side. Taizo's face is blank with disbelief, but before he can say anything, Lady Sorano hands us our drinks as a new song starts. "Come on, let's show them how it's done!"

"Ha, as if I don't know how to dance…" I look over at Sho, and his face is red, from the dancing or embarrassment, I'm not sure. A grin as wide as I've felt in months comes onto my face, and I take a drink of my punch. Lady Sorano, it seems, is actually a good dancer. If Taizo was embarrassed by me and Sho, it doesn't seem like it now. The new song playing now has a lot of buildup, with someone on the track saying something like "when will the bass drop", over and over. And when it finally does Taizo does this amazing stop-start freeze frame kind of dance, and Lady Sorano is spinning and gyrating beside him, providing a contrast to Taizo's moves. Soon after the drop, the song's over, and the people circled around Taizo and Lady Sorano cheer for them. "That was amazing!"

"Ha! It was, wasn't it?"

"It was impressive," Sho admits.

"I just can't believe you're here," Taizo says, shaking his head.

I then decide there's just one thing left to do to complete the non-lethal get-back at Taizo, and I do it. Sho is very surprised, to say the least, and I hear Taizo drop his cup. I enjoy the kiss for what it's worth, and then turn to Lady Sorano, her face full of unholy glee. "Another dance?"


	38. Chapter 38

It took a bit to decide, but I think it's time. I'm not sure if he'll be here but I'll try anyways. I'm a few blocks away from the palace, at the same place that I first made it rain in the royal city. Keeping up the Transformation Jutsu has stretched out my chakra reserves a bit, and I'm able to push the Rainmaker Jutsu past the palace walls a good ways, but not to where I am. It feels good to watch the cloud form and break open, and hold the jutsu up. The usual hustle of the pedestrians to get out of the rain picks up, and again, it's a few minutes before the work of keeping up the jutsu forces me to quit.

The alley is empty except for me. With the hurried movement of the people trying to get out of the rain, I couldn't sense movements like the ones that indicated Yusei and his men were coming the last time I did this. I think of what I'm going to have to do, and how I'l deal with Raiko after this. As Ibiki told me, it would be easy to see my hand in this if you looked in the right places, and after what I'm going to do I'll have a lot of people looking.

I find that I've grown fond of Lady Sorano during my time tutoring her. She's an insufferable wit, yes, but beneath that she's a very caring person. After everything I've done to Taizo, it feels as if I'm betraying her by going through with this plan…

I'm lost in my thoughts for several minutes before I hear someone walk into the alley in front of me. "Raiko?'' It's Yusei, and his men come in a few steps behind him.

"Yusei. You have a moment to talk?" He nods, and walks a few steps closer.

"How'd you get to Yotsuki before us? We only got to mid-level people like Ogata, even with that list you gave me."

"I got a tip from one of my sources. It turned out he was watching one of his cookie jars under a fake name, and I got him there. Listen, Yusei… I think it's time for me to get out of here."

"I'm not convinced you've been here long enough," Yusei says with a sigh. "Besides those listed points, there's so much we could use your position for-"

"That's true, but after what I did to Yotsuki I can't stay for long. Doing what we need to do leaves a trail and mine goes through places you wouldn't understand and can't go to. Look… I may not be here long enough to get to everything you want, but I think I've made a connection with Sorano."

"What about the economic and diplomatic points?"

I hesitate for a second. "She understands them, but… I don't think she accepts them as her own. She isn't the type of person you can force things on."

"Then what good has this been?! My father dies, by your hand, for nothing; we become just another bunch of rebels who get squashed to cover up the truth-"

"She's seen the truth! And if she's going to push for it and remember it, then this needs to happen. She might not be like your father, Yusei, but I'm certain she wouldn't rule like hers. She has the interest to make the Land of Fire into something more than it is now, and she being who she is, that's the best we can hope for."

Yusei gives a disgusted sigh, closing his eyes and folding his arms. "...What do you have in mind?"

I gulp, then clear my throat and lay out my plan...


	39. Chapter 39

I'm guess I'm nervous for a few different reasons today. There's my plan with Yusei, which has kept me on edge around Lady Sorano. Being as sharp as she is she noticed it yesterday, and I've been avoiding her questions as I fail to keep her on the lessons. And on top of that, Lady Sorano has already finished her mock treaty assignment. With all the comments she's made, I'm worried about how seriously she'll have taken it.

"Is this a test?"

"No, but it is important. Were there any sides you felt you identified with?"

"Well, the Land of Fire, of course, but I thought the Land of Frost was in an interesting place."

I nod, and take the mock treaty scroll and open it. "_It has always been the custom in my land to seek out friendship and understanding, and to that end I declare my intent to…"_ Well, whatever I may have been expecting, this wasn't it. No nightmare daimyo keeping a smaller nation in their stranglehold here, just a fair deal. Each nation is contributing the same percentage to the rebuilding expenses fund, and gets back the same percentage of the interest rate over time in increasing increments. There are details outlined concerning what's expected to be done with the fund, and how it can be added to if needed. "_...And so shall sign, to strengthen the community of the nations."_

"So…? How'd I do?"

"It seem balanced enough, but there's no score for this kind of thing. Most treaties only have visible results years after they're signed."

"How do you think it compares to the one that's actually in use?"

"I can't say, as I've never read it." It pairs interestingly with Yusei's vision for the Land of Fire, though; he most likely would have contributed and/or expected more back from the Land of Frost.

"Hmph. Is this all for today?"

"Yes, the bit on inflation and this were all I had in mind for today."

"Alright. But, before you go, miss Ruza, I wanted to ask when the wedding is."

"What wedding?"

"For you and Sho, of course."

Ugh, I'd nearly forgotten I did that. "...We haven't talked about it."

"Well, you two must be the only ones that haven't, then. It's the talk of the town! Ha ha! It's like some fairy tale: the tutor of the daimyo's gorgeous daughter falls in love with his quiet eldest son, and then at the wedding the daimyo's daughter wears the most beautiful and immaculately crafted robes as the tutor's maid of honor, and soon has every handsome bachelor in the land asking for her-"

"Oh, stop it…" I say, trying not to blush. Lady Sorano cackles, and claps her hands…


	40. Chapter 40

Today I got all my things together, and sealed them into a scroll. The guest room didn't look too empty, as it had already been very well furnished. I sigh. The time I've spent in the royal city has aged me, and it feels like it's been months here instead of only a few weeks. A part of me wants to leave some clue for Lady Sorano that Ruza will still be out there somewhere, but for my plan to work, I can't. I've kept Lady Sorano's mock treaty, and smile for a moment as I look at it. If mine and Yusei's dreams come true, then the Land of Fire has a very promising future.

I walk around the room, moving things a touch out of place here and there, trying to give the room a recently lived in look. There. And with that done, I sit at the desk again to think of what Raiko will be doing. There's a chance that no one has gotten any information on her supposed last name yet, but I'm certain that word will spread after I've left the royal city. It will be like sitting at the center of a spider web, waiting for bigger spiders to come along. And what would Obito and Sasuke think? I can't imagine either of them taking it particularly well, one of their clan suddenly resurfacing after several long years spent being quite dead- particularly Sasuke. Itachi did what he did to protect Konoha, and with his long lost relative suddenly appearing and putting Konoha and the Land of Fire in a very precarious situation, I think Sasuke would take that very personally. And Obito… well, the entire ninja world learned the hard way what it's like to have him as an enemy.

But what if some kind of good could come from Raiko if she stays active after leaving the royal city? An Uchiha watching from the shadows, one who set up a new daimyo and changed the course of history forever? Though at the moment it seems impossible to find a way, that would be useful. Hmm… perhaps I'll need to do some training with Sasuke, just in case-

"Miss Hirawa?" Taizo! What could he be doing here? I get up and walk towards the door.

"Come in!" The bags under Taizo's eyes have gotten heavier, and he looks a little worried. I step aside, but leave just enough of my foot in the way that Taizo trips over it. My attempt to catch him isn't exactly that, as my hand first goes to his Cycle Point with a very soft Gentle Fist strike before sliding across and actually catching him. "I'm so sorry, I should have moved more…"

"Nah, you're good. Miss Hirawa, do you have a minute? I'd like to talk."

"Yes, here…" I offer Taizo a seat at my desk, which he takes.

"Has…" He pauses, looking down at his feet. "My sister been asking you strange questions?"

"Her mind works very differently from the way a nor- ...the average person's does, if that's what you mean."

"Heh. Well, not that, but more like strange people."

"No, can't say that she has."

"She's- she's been asking me about someone called The Rainmaker, and I'm wondering if she's asked you, too."

"The Rainmaker? I, I think she's mentioned that person a couple times, she said they were a ninja. Have you met them, too?"

"Just once, when me and Sorano were out to get a drink. She walked in on us when we were in the private room at Mr. Taniguchi's, and she pretended like she knew me… and then later that evening, Mister Taniguchi was found dead with 'ask Taizo' carved into his chest. You're from the hidden village, right, Miss Hirawa? Do you know of anyone who calls themself The Rainmaker?"

"No," I say quickly, before I have time to be nervous. "In a hidden village there isn't much use for an alias; I've never heard of anyone who calls themself that. Maybe if you told me more about them I might know who it is."

Taizo clears his throat, and leans forwards a little. "She was tall slash above average height, and had black hair. She wasn't ugly, but something about her face reminded me of a shovel, and she had kind of a husky voice."

"Okay. Was she thin, or…?"

"No, she wasn't too big, but she had some muscle, like I guess most ninja do."

I pretend to think about this for a moment before speaking. "...Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't know anyone who looks like that exactly. I know a family that has long black hair, but none of them have a face like a shovel. And, Taizo… if you have this ninja woman following you, I think you should keep the royal guard close by when you're out of the palace." Taizo leans back in my chair and sighs angrily, folding his arms.

"Yeah… guess I should… but, it's more than that. You see, Mister Taniguchi was a friend of mine. Not too long ago, a friend from Tanzaku Quarters disappeared, and I think this Rainmaker was behind that, too. So someone is definitely out to get me, but I don't know who, or why!" Doesn't know why? I gulp, and calm down. Taizo looks up at me. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"It was like that day when we met in the garden, like someone was staring at the back of my neck."

"No, I didn't feel it," I say with a shrug. Completely true, unlike most of what I just said to Taizo. Well, unless… no. He couldn't feel _that_, could he?!

"Alright. Well, that's all I wanted to ask you. Thanks for your time, Miss Hirawa." Taizo stands and gives me a tired smile, then turns to leave.


	41. Chapter 41

After Taizo's visit last evening, I had a little trouble sleeping. Part of it was over what I'll be doing today, another part because of the trouble working as Raiko has put me in, and the biggest part because of the extremely unlikely possibility that Taizo could actually sense whoever is watching me. However unlikely, he's the first real chance at finding out what it is, and now with everything I've done in the royal city and those two Gentle Fist strikes, one way or another he probably won't be around long enough to help.

"Thinking about Sho?"

"Of course," I say. I continue combing my hair as Lady Sorano's servant tie the sash on her kimono. Not having slept much, I'm already in mine, the scroll with my belonging in it safely tucked away out of sight.

"What drew you to him?" Lady Sorano's servant asks, separating a section of hair to begin combing.

"He's serious without being too stuffy," I lie. Though he's nice, Sho is a bit too dull for me. "And, well… he's handsome, too." Lady Sorano gives a snort of laughter, and her servant(whose name is Nonami, I finally learned the other day) giggles.

"It's been ages since the last time Sho had a girlfriend, Ruza, so go easy on him," Lady Sorano says. "He might need a little more practice with kissing."

More like a lot; even out of the very few that I've had I'd put that awful mistake with Sho down at the bottom of the list and leave it there forever, unless by some evil twist of fate Sho got drunk and kissed me again. Lady Sorano smirks when she sees my face, and I have to look away and focus on my hair. I decided Ruza would wear it up today, in simple bun. As Lady Sorano and Nonami suggest various things for Sho and I to do together(none of which I'll write down here in my journal, I don't need those mental images again thank you very much), I think of the exit route I planned with Yusei. I won't be going out the way I come in, so I can't set it up as we go there, which I think is the biggest weakness to the whole thing- because if we get caught on the way out, it's all over and all of our work is for nothing.

After Nonami is finished with Lady Sorano's hair, the time to leave for the throne room is near, so we decide to go ahead and meet with the daimyo in the council room behind it a little early. There are a few flights of stairs to manage, down towards the center of the first floor. Lady Sorano becomes quiet, focusing on something far away, and once again a feel a pin prick of regret for what I'm going to do.

When we get to the council room, the daimyo is already there with a couple of his advisors. "Ah, Sorano, and Miss Hirawa. Good morning."

"Good morning, father."

"You'll be joining us today, Miss Hirawa?"

"Out in the hall, yes. I thought it would be good to observe Lady Sorano here today."

"Ah, I see. Well, these frequent Summer sessions tend to be tedious, so I hope you are prepared to sit for a good while."

"I am, my lord." I smile, and give Lady Sorano a smug look. She frowns at me for a second before turning to the daimyo.

"Father, will the new owners of Mr. Taniguchi's be here today?"

"I think they mentioned they would be coming, yes. Jun was a good friend of Taizo's, so I'll see if some new kind of agreement can be reached." Though no one brings up what happened to Yotsuki, I can see that they're thinking of it. One of the daimyo's advisors looks at his watch, then clears his throat.

"Around ten minutes, my lord. I think we should head in now." The daimyo nods, and one of the advisers opens the door for him. I smile at Lady Sorano as I head out into the hall, and take my seat among the chairs that have been brought out. There are a few large chairs set to the sides of the throne, and the daimyo's advisers take their seats. Several people are already seated back in the hall, and I take a place at the back near the doors. More come in, mostly affluent traders and a few people who look as if they scrambled to find their best clothes. More and more people come in, until all the seats are taken and a group of people are standing at the open doors.

The first issue brought forwards comes from a man who is a trader working on and around the coast. From what I hear he has a large amount of business dealing with fish, importing and exporting. "And the trade routes?"

"Becoming clogged with smaller boats, my lord."

"How would rerouting the shipping lanes work?" Asks Lady Sorano.

"Well, they're already direct enough, my lady."

"For the smaller boats, I mean. Maybe making their routes close to shore more circuitous during these busier months?"

"What size boats, my lady?"

"Forgive me for not knowing the boat names, but I was thinking the ones that take at most a few men to crew."

"Those boats make up the majority of the ones on the water," One of the daimyo's advisors puts in.

"Away from the ports, where it's harder for the larger ships and barges to maneuver, is what I think Lady Sorano might have meant," Another of the daimyo's advisors says.

The advisors and the fish trader begin talking about currents and narrowing down the exact boat size, and on and on and about other things like permits and fees for said smaller boats and what these boats might be hauling besides fish. Eventually they come to one of those "that sounds good, let's fine tune it and write it down later" kind of agreements, and the fish trader sits back down. A glance at the door reveals that a few more people are hovering around it. I sigh, and turn back towards the throne…

When the daimyo said the Summer sessions of court were tedious, he wasn't kidding. Aside from the amount of people, it seemed like the main thing on everyone's minds is money, money, money. Traders and businessmen whose routes and services were interrupted or endangered by the ninja war are out in full force today, and I find their pleas for aid a bit annoying- us ninja have a bit of time in the spotlight and this is what we get for it? And besides that, it's not like the war was terribly long, either. A few times I catch Lady Sorano looking my way, but I try to avoid her gaze, especially once I look back and see that the doors are now closed.

The gentleman sitting to my left has a list of points to bring up on a bit of paper, and he's silently reciting some kind of monologue to himself. "Excuse me sir, but I wasn't keeping track of the way here, and… um would you happen to know what direction the bathrooms are in?"

The man glances between me and his notes, then apparently decides I'm real and leans over to whisper, "I've not been to any part of the palace besides this one, but I'd assume they're by the kitchens or washrooms, for the servants." He looks back up at the daimyo and adds, "With how long this is going on, a trip there might be needed to break up the monotony." I silently nod in agreement, and step out to leave the room as quietly as I can. There's a semicircle of red velvet ropes blocking off the door to the hall, and I hop over, and walk off as fast as I can without running. The way to the palace entrance is clear, but I think it's close to the lunch break, and I need to hurry.

"Just a bit of fresh air," I say to the guards. Having made the hand seals inside where no one was watching, I raise my arms up as if stretching to begin the Rainmaker Jutsu. I'm not looking to cover the whole palace grounds, that way the downpour can be intense enough to persuade the guards at the door to head inside to take their lunch early.

"It's happening again," I hear one say.

"And it's in about twenty minutes, right?"

"Yeah; they probably won't mind us stepping inside like last time." I try to direct the rain towards the guards and I, and one of them utters a swear word I thought only us ninja knew. "Enjoy your fresh air, miss." The guards retreat to inside the door, and I see Yusei and his men in their disguises coming in at the main gate. They pop open their umbrellas and hurry my way, and they can't get over here fast enough.

"Court's in session, miss?"

"Yes, let's come in out of the rain!" I let go of the Rainmaker Jutsu, and begin the Chakra Sensing Technique as we step inside. "Almost time for the lunch break," I whisper to Yusei as his men take care of the door guards. "We'll have to hurry." At the first turn I make use of the Optic Delusory genjutsu, projecting the appearance of a dead end. I can sense people in the area of the kitchen rushing about, and a few people moving towards the throne room. Almost running, I think we'll make it to the halls before them, but it's close.

Finally, after covering the hallway junctions with the Optic Delusory genjutsu and getting increasingly anxious, we make it back to the throne room. "You ready?"

"As ready as you can be for something like this. Wait a minute before you come in…" Yusei nods, and I do my best to come back in quietly. A few people at the back notice me, but not too many, as there is a discussion between some nobleman and the daimyo's advisors going on.

"-And I think it's only proper that this relationship be strengthened."

"True, but there a couple zoning issues to consider," One of the daimyo's advisors says. This particular one has objected to or pointed out flaws in many of the issues that were brought up while I was here; almost everything, actually. "It's not the business itself that's the matter, it's the tradition of Kagura Street that many people, myself included, would object to being tampered with."

"I think a bit of change on the street would be in order, considering the fate of the previous owner," The nobleman says. Wait, previous owner? Oh, no... Well, if this conversation is going to be happening, right now is the best time.

"Again, true, but from the perspective of a consumer headed to Kagura Street, a love inn is not the thing that would maintain the dignified experience the street is known for."

"As you say, 'again, true-' but from the perspective of a loving spouse, it is the perfect compliment to a wonderful evening away from the tedium of home life. Surely you have no objection to that?"

"I have objections to businesses overstepping the zoning restrictions of this city, especially where Kagura Street is concerned. You are well aware of the proper place for businesses such as yours, and if I may say so, the former location of the bar is not the proper place-" At that point, Yusei and his men loudly bang open the doors. Everything stops for a moment, and I do my best to look surprised. "What's the meaning of this interruption? I would like to resolve the current issue before the lunch break."

There is a loud murmur of agreement, which Yusei ignores. "Don't worry, I'll not be here for long. All that I've come to do is to simply present a gift to the daimyo." Yusei takes out a small scroll- the very same one Ibiki gave me, containing the information on Taizo's criminal network. "May I approach?" The advisor arguing against the nobleman's love inn is already standing, and he meets Yusei at the front row of the assembly. He hands the scroll to the daimyo with a very quick bow, and then takes his seat.

"Is that all?"

"Just briefly, I would like for the scroll to be read." The daimyo unrolls it, and his expression sours as his eyes move over it. "Do any of those men and places have familiar names?"

"...Yes, but I do not appreciate such insinuations being brought up, and in such a brazen manner."

"May I see it, father?" My heart stops for a second, and with a shrug, the daimyo passes the scroll to Lady Sorano.

"Your gift has been received- now if you would, please leave my court."

"No."

"I beg your pardon? '_No'_?"

"No. You see, those are not insinuations or slander I handed you, they are truth. We are all aware of how you have led this nation, and though I have irreconcilable differences with your rule, there is one man who I would less like to see on your throne."

"I am conscious of the fact that I have detractors," The daimyo says calmly. "Perhaps if you would be willing to wait and return after the recess, I would be willing to hear about this other man you speak of."

"No. I would wager that not everyone in this room is aware of who the man that called himself Jun Taniguchi really was, but they know damn well who they should ask." The room is deathly silent, and Yusei continues. "That piece of _gutter trash_ had my father- a man _far_ greater than himself or you- executed for fear of being exposed."

"...The matter will be looked into, now: please, stand down and leave the room."

Yusei ignores the daimyo and turns to Lady Sorano, who has let the scroll drop to her lap as she stares blankly at the floor. "Sorano, tell me: you idolize your father as some hero, don't you? How would you feel if some petty drug lord had him assassinated? How would you feel if the only man who could advance the Land of Fire was murdered right in front of your eyes?!"

"That is _ENOUGH!_" The same advisor is standing again, pointing to Yusei. "Where are the guards? Have this man taken away!"

"I could have you executed for the things you have said here," The daimyo says. "But I am not the kind of tyrant you seem to think I am, and as such, will not."

"I don't think you are a tyrant. I don't think you are anything, and that is my problem with you- you have all the wealth and beauty of our country at hand, and all you do is sit on it and watch the Land of Fire be run, like it's some kind of theater act!" Yusei draws the prop knife, and the room immediately flies into a panic. "I'm not after your life today Soriranashi, but only blood can pay for blood." Yusei's men grab me, and I pretend to struggle against them.

"NO!" Lady Sorano cries, standing up. "Let her go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Yusei says as he walks behind me. He slams the prop knife into my back, the blade collapsing back into the hilt. I gasp and feign struggling for air, and one last time, I look Lady Sorano in the eyes. Seeing the look on her face, I almost feel like the knife in my back is real, and a moment later Yusei's men drag me out of the room. They take one of the short poles the red velvet rope was hanging from and slide it between the door handles, and right after that we take off running. Only at the front door of the palace do we stop to catch our breath. "Well?"

"Sorano will never forgive or forget you," I tell Yusei.

"That's to be expected." Yusei closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, then takes out a pouch from his belt. "Here. It's all I could come with given the time I had once you told me, but-"

"Keep it. The daimyo paid me well enough."

"You would rather have his money than mine?"

"It's money I earned honestly."

"You are impossible," Yusei says, shaking his head. "Well then. I suppose this is where we say goodbye." I nod, and before Yusei can say anything else, I shift the Transformation Jutsu to take the appearance of one of the daimyo's advisors, and leave the palace. Once I'm out of the walls on the palace grounds and into a nearby alley I let the Transformation Jutsu drop completely, and take off running for Konoha as fast as I can. If I never come back to this city, it will be too soon.


	42. Chapter 42

They don't tell you these things when you become a ninja. As a child your family members expect you to carry on their legacy, or you see the ninja defending your village, and they seem super human. They don't tell you your heart needs to be super human, too.

Oh well. It's been a few days, and I think I've calmed down a bit. I still think of everything that went on in the royal city, but I'm starting to look forwards to what's waiting at home: my family and my own bed(which I missed, oddly enough), my friends(Naruto…), the familiar streets…

The watched feeling has been following me, as always. It waxes and wanes at odd moments, and I wish I could understand it better so that maybe, at some point, I could get rid of it once and for all. There have been times when I felt I could read its patterns when I'm with other people, but when I'm on my own, it seems to be so much more random.

There isn't a whole lot of space left for me to write in this journal. I think that once I get back to Konoha in a few days I'll buy a new one, and start fresh there. What will I do with this one? I'd like to burn it, as there are very private and sensitive things in here. I wish there was a way for it to disappear, but I know that some of these things need to stay written down somewhere. Perhaps I could sneak them into the Hokage Library. Ah, and I'll have to talk with Hanabi about everything that happened, too. Right now, I'm not too excited about that. I think I might have to steal Haruko again.


End file.
